LIVE: President Biden delivers 2024 Voice of the Union address | NBC Info

We are live tonight right in the middle of all the action just moments from now it's going down in that building behind us a kickoff to the 2024 general election with the speech delivered to an audience of Congress cabinet members Supreme Court Justices invited guests and of course millions of people like you watching at home with the state of.

Our Union divided Mr Speaker the president of the United States President Joe Biden moments away from the most critical State of the Union Address of his presidency his message to the nation as the 2024 general election kicks off your freedom is on the ballot with a rematch pretty much locked in for the first time.

In more than a century a former president taking on a current President Joe you're fired the president set to lay it out as a clear and consequential choice arguing it's either stability or chaos democracy or tyranny he's one will to sacrifice our democracy put himself in power and confronting headon his biggest political challenge the idea.

He's too old to keep his job I'm well meaning and I'm an noly man and I know what the hell I'm doing on the issues immigration and that border crisis it's long past time to fix it on the economy how to make people feel better about numbers that are looking better we're investing in America and we're investing in American people and with the wars.

Overseas def finding America's role in two brutal and deadly conflicts Ukraine against Russia Israel against Hamas you can't walk away now a speech with everything on the line to rebuild the backbone of America just minutes away from NBC News Now a presidential State of the Union live from Washington here are hie Jackson and Tom yamz and good.

Evening from Washington tonight I'm Tom Yas and I'm Hy Jackson and in less than one hour from now you will hear the president president make his case that he's the one who can handle the big issues facing this country and Ali fim as you know his biggest challenge convincing America pick me to lead not Donald Trump so let's take a look and.

See what's at the top of Mind of Voters and a lot of you we start with of course immigration and our Southern border seeing a record-breaking 250,000 migrant Crossings in December then there's the economy because even with markets hitting record highs just today inflation and unemployment moving in the right direction the numbers.

Looking better people are not feeling better about their money and foreign policy the big news tonight he'll announced plans to build a temporary port to deliver badly needed Aid to the Gaza Strip but the thing no policy no executive action can change is also front and center tonight his age right hie that's right Tom polling shows.

Nearly three qus of Voters say he is just too old to be effective including about half of his own party and we know the president will nod to that tonight with a reference although not by name to former president Trump his presumptive 2020 for opponent who is in his late 70s and there's a lot riding on tonight as well right as the president set to walk.

Into the capital with an approval rating hovering just in the high 30s any stumbling or freezing could make things even worse cuz there's a lot of people watching there's a lot of eyeballs on this of the top 100 broadcast with the most viewers last year they were almost all football except for the Oscars the Thanksgiving Day Parade and yes Tom the.

State of the union and just like Sunday Night Football we've got tonight covered from every angle take a look from Mr Biden's down Pennsylvania Avenue to the capital to the scenes inside to the White House where the president will depart from soon and then here let's pull this up full just right here the one that says protest a protest.

Happening right now a pro Palestinian protest that erupted over the last few hours for the next 60 minutes we've got you covered with the absolute best reporters in the business breaking down everything you're about to see and hear from the White House to the capital from the border to overseas but I want to start with NBC's Gabe Gutierrez posted.

Up just outside the White House and Gabe we're getting a look at some of the president's speech give us a sense of what to expect tonight hi there Hy good evening well before I get to that you just showed those live pictures of the pro Palestinian protesters outside the capital you may be able to hear it we're in a building near the White House you.

Can see it behind me but down on the street over the last uh hour or so there really has been uh more than a 100 pro Palestinian protesters uh that are here outside the White House in addition to outside the capital now hie that really goes to show you the challenges that President Biden will be facing as he heads into the State of the Union.

Address criticism not just on domestic policy but also foreign policy some of those protesters talking about how voting uncommitted sends quite a message of course we've been seeing voters in the last several weeks writing uh writing in on committed now I want to get to some of those e excerpts H several different um uh themes that the.

President is expected to hit the economy also Ro v Wade talking about abortion rights and also the issue taking the issue of age headon as he talks about protecting democracy I want to throw up one of those exer my lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy a future based on the core values that defined America to respect everyone to.

Give everyone a fair shot to give hate no Safe Harbor and now some other people my age see a different story an American story of resentment revenge and retribution that is not me certainly hie the president planning to take several of those criticisms head on tonight Gabe as we were listening to your report there we're also looking at live.

Pictures of this Pro Palestinian protest that's happening just blocks from the capital tonight and I think one of the things that's going to make a lot of news and a lot of people are going to be listening for tonight is what we heard earlier from our sources at the White House that the president is expected to talk about this makeshift pork they're.

Going to build in Gaz and Gabe as you know this is a sort of an interesting position for the us we both helped Israel when it comes to the military and now we're going to build a port to help those Palestinians who are starving and need Aid to get some help yeah that's right Tom look the Biden Administration has been walking that fine line since.

This war broke out siding with Israel but also trying to get as much humanitarian Aid into Gaza now yes earlier today we did hear from senior Administration officials who told us that the US military will now lead that emergency mission to create a port in the Mediterranean to get humanitarian Aid into Gaza the human a will flow.

Through Cyprus but Tom there are a lot of questions logistically about how this will play out the senior Administration officials were quick to point out there will be no American boots on the ground in Gaza however uh there are questions about logistics the Israelis are set to provide security uh for that mission and then Nos and the UN are set to.

Distribute that Aid once it gets into Gaza but again no American boots on the ground and the senior Administration officials say it will take several weeks to plan and execute that mission but certainly it appears that the Biden Administration is trying to show that it is doing something to appease those protesters you see right now Tom Gabe.

Gutier has a lot to watch tonight of course from your perch there just outside the White House all right let's bring in NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles who joins us live tonight from that exact location Ryan I I want to go off script here just a little bit because we are watching these pictures of the protest here is it.

Causing any sort of traffic jams do we know is it preventing people from getting to the chambers we know we're just less than an hour away from seeing the president hopefully depart from the White House and get over to the capital yeah Tom from my Approach inside the building it doesn't appear to be causing too much of a disruption you.

Know most people that attend the State of the Union are well prepared to get here early because of course once the president makes his way from the White House Down Pennsylvania Avenue Avenue here to the capital all those roads are shut off entrances are shut down as well and so it doesn't appear to be preventing anyone who wanted to be here.

From the speech uh from getting here in time but as you point out rightly that this is an issue that the president is going to be forced to deal with he's going to be walking into a chamber that has been as partisan as it's been in a generation and of course that means serious divides between Republicans and Democrats but there are also divides.

Within the parties themselves and there are a number of Progressive Democrats that are concerned about the way that Israel is Prosecuting this war and there are concerns that there could be disruptions during this speech maybe disruptions from Republicans who oppose the president's policies but also from Progressive Democrats or the guests that.

They invited to the speech here tonight who may want to voice their disapproval of that policy and the way the situation is being handled in the Middle East but I can tell you uh that there's already going to be a lot of ways for these members who aren't going to get the chance to speak tonight to voice how they feel about certain policy issues.

Either in the way they dress or in the guests that they've invited here tonight among the guests the families of the hostages and also the parents of Evan gersich of course who is that Wall Street Journal reporter who's been detained by Russia Tom and H Ryan so much of this right so much of the guest so much of who's in the chamber is about.

Sending a message it's about the Optics of a night like tonight with so many millions of people expected to watch who else do you expect to see inside the chamber inside the capital tonight well let's first talk about that group of people that the speaker himself speaker Mike Johnson has invited and of that list we we already talked about the.

Parents of Evan gersich but also a family of one of those hostages the Neutra family uh their son and brother Omar has been uh been held captive since October 7th in fact every single member of the families of those six American hostages that are still being held in captivity will have some sort of a representative in the chamber here today.

And I talked to a number of those hostage families leading up to the speech and they said that they really wanted the message to be that their situation transcend the political divide that whether or not you agree with the way that Israel's prosecuted this war that you still should believe sincerely that these.

Hostages should be brought home so they want this to stay in the Forefront and that's part of why you're going to see them tonight in this crowd Ryan Noble's live for us on Capitol Hill Ryan standby we're probably going to be coming back to you throughout the hour he's heading into his seat he's going to have that headset he's going to be watching it all.

Talking us all through it as we start to see the cameras come up in just about looking at the clock maybe 20 30 minutes here let me bring in Congressional insiders folks who know this building better than almost anybody Molly ball senior political correspondent at the Wall Street Journal and Eugene Scott political reporter at axio it's good to.

Be with both of you so Molly give us a bit of a viewers guide right Tom and I have laid out some of the big themes here some of what the president has to do in order to try to meet the bar that he set for himself as we head into an election year it is not a campaign speech not technically this has the apparatus of his being the.

Commanderin-chief what are you watching for hie I think your question stunned them they're rendered speechless from the bril but you our viewers will notice all the commotion behind them it's a busy night here we're in Washington state of the union it's sort of like the Super Bowl at times here in the nation's.

Capital and I'm sure we're going to talk to them and we have them actually I think right now what's interesting too I mean to your point you talk about the Super Bowl this week we are 48 hours off of super Tuesday Tom I mean and this is one where we now know Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee of course after Nikki Haley dropped out.

Setting up the idea that this is 2024 politics beginning the general election is starting this week it's like two Super Bowls at once and speaking of the former president we know that that he plans to partake in the festivities not really doing counterprogramming but saying that he's going to that's right fact check he's going to do a play.

Byplay from truth social um it's one of the things we're going to be monitoring tonight as well and I think we have Molly and Eugene back with us Somali uh and I know you've had plenty of time to think about that uh and in fact we do have somebody else we're going to go to democratic congressman from South Carolina Jim CL we're going to take you.

Inside that building you see there inside that room Congressman it's good to be with you I know it's a busy night thank you for being with us thank you very much for having me so listen you said that last year State of the Union was in some ways the kickoff to President Biden's reelection push so maybe that makes tonight the start of.

The closing arguments what do you think the headline of that argument should be tonight what do you want to hear from the president well I want to see the president draw the contrast between him and who seems to going to be his opponent the president I believe has demonstrated clearly that this country.

Has been brought back from the precipice he has done what was necessary uh to restore the confidence that the American people need to have in our government he has rebuilt uh our infrastructure or is rebuilding our infrastructure in a way that's been promised for years in the previous administration every week or.

Month was infrastructure week or month and we never got a single infrastructure day today President Biden has given us the biggest infrastructure investment since Dwight Eisenhower and those are the facts that we have to get out to the American people Healthcare uh is at its lowest cost in decades I believe that he has demonstrated that.

Although uh inflation uh has been a problem he is bringing it down and we now hear the announcement today that we are going to see interest rates cut uh at least several times between now and November Congress President Biden is doing what needs to be done and the American people are beginning to tune into that Congressman you you gave.

President Biden his Lazarus moment during the 2020 campaign uh poll after poll shows he's having trouble with the American electorate right now specifically also with black voters what what happened to President Biden and and Black America what what would you advise him that he has to do better well the the black Americans are.

Just like every other American and you see those polls it's not just black Americans that seem uh to have lost faith everybody has had a problem but we see it coming back now I was amazed to see yes day a new poll out that says Joe Biden is leading uh in that particular poll so we're going to go through this between now uh and the elections we're.

Still in the primary season and we are going to see us focus on this election uh in the next several weeks and I do believe that Joe Biden will do well with the American people Congressman I have to ask you you know we've already talked on this broadcast tonight about the house Speaker warning his members that decor Forum should Rule the Day tonight.

Basically saying not to Heckle I'm looking though at some members of your party particularly some of the progressives who have made clear that they are not happy with the way that the president is handling the Israel Hamas War even in this split screen moment we were just showing our audience we're seeing those Pro Palestinian protest.

Just outside the White House here are you worried that tonight the party divisions inside the Democratic party are going to be very much on display to the millions of Americans tuning in they will not be in a hecklin on our side of that I challenge anybody to show me guarantee that no I can't guarantee it but I can.

Go on history the history is very clear you've never seen a Democrat on the floor of the House of Representatives yelling insults at the president no matter how we may disagree with him okay that is not the Democratic party way of doing things we may not like what the president is doing we may not like what the Congress is doing but we know one.

Thing my dad used to say the first sign of a good educ ation is good manners and we are not going to go down that route no matter how much we may disagree Congressman Jim Clin we're so glad to have you tonight we'll get let you get inside get to your seat for everything beginning here in just the next couple of minutes thank you and we have another.

Special guest to bring in right now Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker Kristen uh the temperature is hot tonight in DC you have this protest happening outside the capital you have questions on whether Democrats the president's own party May Heckle him inside the house gallery I I do want to ask you is the president ready to meet.

This moment do we know well we know that he's been working hard to try to meet this moment he was preparing at Camp David over the weekend and the White House and his AIDS understand the stakes Tom and Hy I think you could argue this is the biggest if not one of the biggest speeches of his entire political career why he is going into tonight uh fighting.

For re-election the political fight of his life and he's facing some serious headwinds not just the war in the Middle East and frustration with his handling over that but the fact that we are seeing the economy get better by the numbers but that the vast majority of Americans say that they don't feel it so he's got to make the case here's what.

I'm going to do in a second term to make sure that you are feeling the impact of this and then finally he's going to draw this sharp contrast with former president Donald Trump we know that I don't anticipate he'll mention Trump by name but in terms of being ready to meet the moment you heard that reporting there and you guys just said this that.

The speaker has encouraged his conference to not Jer and Shout out but what if they do there likely will be a little bit of jeering I wouldn't be surpised just Ed his his exactly a question do speaker Johnson have the muscle right now that they're going to listen to him that's the question I think that it was it was something that.

Was delivered very seriously and sternly I would be surprised if everyone listened to him I do think the challenge for the president is to be prepared to respond and to make it feel authentic we know he's been preparing to go toe-to-toe with Republicans who might shout some things out but if it doesn't feel authentic I think it could lose a.

Little bit of the the punch that he might want well and that gets to something that is important about tonight because the policy is going to be there there's going to be listen you're going to get meat and potatoes right that's what's going to happen but to in many ways it's not just what the President says it's how he says it and.

You look at the speech that we watched together just a couple of nights to go ago former president Trump coming out on super Tuesday essentially taking on the mantle of becoming the presumptive Republican nominee and one of our colleagues I think it was Garrett hake described that speech as perhaps decaffeinated Donald Trump Joe Biden.

President Biden has got to come out right and and and show that he has some energy show that he can combat some of those concerns talk us through that piece that's right because if you look at the polls More than 70% of Americans say they have real concerns about his age and his ability to serve another four years he's got a answer those.

Concerns tonight he's got to be forceful if you talk to his allies and he's got to have a caffeinated performance tonight and one that feels energized and like he's ready to take on the task of another four years and I was talking to a couple of outside advisers who said look he can't just deliver a list of accomplishments and goals it's got to be.

A story there's got to be an AR always is a story right point to the guest in the box but but he's got make you feel it that's what he did last time by the way I think he was broadly praised as having delivered a strong speech he's got to do it again and the question is will be and he took on the headquarters and and I'm sure they've prepped him.

This time for that as well we'll see what happens Christan great to have you we look forward to more of your coverage later in the night joining us now I want to bring in somebody who's going to have a front row seat perhaps not literally but figuratively to this Republican congressman from Minnesota and majority whip Tom Emer Congressman thank you so.

Much for making the time for us before you have to head in I appreciate it great to be with you hiy Tom thank you so listen one of the topics that we know is going to be front and center for Republicans certainly is immigration and you've been a Critic of President Biden's border policies you've written on X that he could secure our.

Borders today with the stroke of a pen it is Republicans of course who tank that bipartisan bill that would have given more power to the government when it comes to immigration and border security so when the president inevitably brings that up tonight sir and we know that he is likely to do so what is the GOP defense to that well the.

First uh thing I I need to tell you is that the president has signed 64 executive orders since he took office ally and those 64 executive orders have effectively undone the work that the previous administration did to seal the Border as a result you've had 8.7 million uh illegals come across our borders uh in just the last three years.

And with Goda ways that number is even higher when you talk about uh the bill that was in the Senate I I mean let's I uh talk about the fact that it couldn't even get clure on this Senate fall floor it didn't go anywhere the house provided uh the Senate and the White House with if you are not going to undo your your 64 executive orders if you're not going.

To do what you could do yesterday to fix our problem at the border uh then there are five things five core things that Republicans suggested as early as last May one finish the wall two reform the perole president's Parole Authority three I I reform our broken Asylum system uh four is uh end Catch and Release and.

Five is restore uh the remain and Mexico policy which our custom and Border patol says would staunch the Flow by 70% that Senate bill hie that Senate Bill didn't have any of that and in fact codified The Catch and Release the illegal Catch and Release that this Administration is doing at the southern border right now was any of the push back because former.

President Trump made clear to your conference that he didn't want to see this go through in an election year president Trump's been talking about the Border since 2014 or 15 when he started running the first time no the uh house Republican conference uh this is where we have been and keep in mind those five things that I just gave you they were.

Delivered to Chuck Schumer uh last May and he has refused to do anything about it and so the only thing we're left with is Mr President if you're sincere about sealing the Border undo your 64 executive orders and do the job Congressman President Biden will be speaking the House Republicans including some who are actively trying to impeach.

Him you've said your conference should follow the facts wherever they lead and so far investigations from multiple committees have not produced evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors against the president as of yet as a member of leadership do you think it's time to finally put your members impeachment push to bed I you can call it what you.

Want but the house has the obligation to do oversight of the executive branch I I know the uh the journalism World wants to jump to the impeachment word every time time but our job is to follow the facts I think uh uh Jim Jordan I think Jamie comr I think uh Smith Jason Smith from Missouri they've all been doing exactly that let's uh let's find out.

What all the facts are let's see what we have if nothing else the American people need to know if someone is actually selling their name or their relatives name for uh uh financial gain so totally app Rises to that level or not we'll see and I think you're right though but what would you tell the American people what has the house uncovered in all this time.

That hasn't already been reported out well I think that's been widely reported bottom line is I'm going to tell you again Tom it is our job to make sure we are doing the oversight of the executive branch and making sure that everything is transparent and out in the public and I think our guys have been doing that very well Congressman before we let you.

Go we've been talking about the possibility of some of these unpredictable moments from folks who are in the chamber tonight we know what the house Speaker has told members of your conference do you expect that they will respect the decorum directive as you might want to call it that the speaker put down well I know that my colleagues.

On the other side of the aisle Democrats have been known to wear special uniforms stand up and turn their back to the person speaking at the podium I don't expect to see any of that tonight but look I can only control myself and I plan to sit and listen uh very carefully to what the president has to say Congressman thank you so much for making.

The time for us on what is a big and busy night for everybody in Washington appreciate it thank you guys and we told you tonight the president will probably hit on two big issues voters will focus on in November the economy and immigration Julia anley is in the key border state of Texas tonight but I want to start with Christine Romans who is.

Joining us here in Washington keeping an eye on all things economy and Christine I know that you had a chance to catch up with White House officials looking ahead to what we expect to hear from the president we got a bit of a taste of it in some of those excerpts that have just been released in the last couple of hours here that he's looking to show.

That the economy can grow from the from the Middle and the bottom up and not the top down absolutely and he wants to show the American people the plan is to frame it all really as he's working to lower cost for you because people are still quite scarred by inflation the inflation story of the past three years even as all of the other big economic numbers.

Are really strong even as the stock market hits record highs even as as GDP continues uh to grow and that much forecast recession last year never happened people still feel pretty skittish about the economy so the president's plan is to try to meet people at their kitchen table and show that he is trying to cut costs every way.

He can and trying to control Corporate America into uh you know getting rid of those hidden fees and junk fees as the White House likes to talk about it also you'll hear him talking a lot about tax fairness raising taxes on Mega corporations on people who make $100 million or more but never raising taxes on people who make less than $400,000 a.

Year so I think those are the two ways that who's going to try to frame that economy story tonight you guys Christine you know it's it's interesting in politics because sometimes when the stock market is down whatever political parties in power will say the stock market that's not the economy but when the stock market is roaring then those.

Same politicians will say hey look at the stock market is it a gamble for President Biden and Democrats to talk about the stock market right now because you just don't know where it'll be in November yeah and I don't think you'll hear him say much about it if maybe a brief mention he's going to talk about prices and how he's trying to lower.

Prices for American families these little granular things that drive families crazy and add to their to their costs he's going to try to meet them at the table not on Wall Street Christine Romans thank you so much glad you're here with us in DC tonight yeah love having you I'm joined Now by Republican Congressman of Texas Tony Gonzales.

Congressman thank you for joining us on such a busy night um I I just want you to speak very directly to our viewers I know you are a republican but at times you've been ostracized by your own party if you can be as Frank as possible with us how bad do you see the Border situation right now in the United States it is so bad that first off.

Thanks for having me Tom it is so bad that people have given up they've given up on the president they've stopped listening to what he has to say they no longer trust the federal government people feel abandoned that's not Republicans that's not Democrats that's people along the border feel abandoned I think more and more people across the.

Country feel unsafe and that is one of the things that is driving this this border crisis absolutely has a Nexus into this security issue that we're seeing all throughout the country it's as bad as I've ever seen it over 7,000 people coming over a day but most importantly people feel abandoned and they've given up there's another issue.

We expect the president to talk about of course and that is the wars overseas you are one of the more Pro Ukraine House Republicans you know this is a put puts you on a lock step with your party I don't have to tell you that I I have to imagine and based on the reporting from our teams President Biden is probably going to ask Congress to pass more money.

To help Ukraine fight against Russia um there's also of course Israel's fight versus Hamas here as a Navy veteran do you believe that your party might be putting allies at risk of Los losing these conflicts specifically Ukraine if the house continues to drag feet on new funding as a Navy veteran we cannot leave our allies on the battlefield to.

Bleed out we also cannot write blank checks and expect the problem to be solved Americans are mad for a reason they're mad because they're doing all the things they're supposed to do they're following the law they're paying their taxes they're they're sending their kids to school they're doing all the things they're supposed to do and.

Somehow they are last in this equation you see the stock market everything's Rising but somehow they can't afford a home to buy so they have to live with their parents or they can't sell a home something is not right so this is where writing a blank check is not going to solve the problem you got to give our allies exactly what they need in order.

To win this war as we know the Ukraine funding tied to the Border as well and Congressman I have to ask you are you disappointed in your own party over what happened with that bill a bill to try to tackle immigration you know one thing is one one of the mistakes I believe that the Senate made is they started negotiating.

With Joe Biden they should have started negotiating with Donald J Trump Joe Biden is for all purposes is a lame duck president people have given up on him certainly in his own party but Republicans no longer respect him at all zero so stop negotiating with a lame duck president Donald J Trump on the other hand it's very clear that the.

Party is being led and and listens to him so this is this is where Congressman wait I'm I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude but you're basically saying that Senate Republicans and House Republicans need to now communicate with former president Trump even though he holds no office I think a um a a former president.

Has moreway than a current president I'm seeing that right now I'll give you a prime example Uvaldi you know juval is in my district I hosted Joe Biden after after the uali incident we spent all day together I pulled him aside at the very end I'm not even going to talk about the Border I asked him for three things I asked him for money for a mental health.

Clinic I asked him for money for a new emergency Operation Center they were in Uval they're using a war I building and I asked them money for communications for first for First Responders I got zero response I had to deliver that on my own through the Appropriations Bill we got 2 million for a mental health clinic we got two and a half million for.

An emergency Operation Center and we got 4.5 million for new Communications I say that to say I've given up on the president I've given up on Joe Biden a lot of Americans have given up on Joe Biden and I think Donald J Trump has more of a chance of getting something over the Finish Line than than Joe Biden does Congressman Tony Gonzalez from.

Texas Congressman thank you very much for making the time for us and I appreciate it as we take a live look now you can see that there it looks as though I believe that's the Beast yeah I was going to say that that zoomed in I see if we could see the president can't tell if he got in or not but we are going to see him any second potentially.

Leaving and listen it's a little shaky this is live out there this wonderful photographer who's out there for the pool for us right now who's probably shooting this for all the networks has no idea his camera is probably hot right now but uh people are walking by his his platform probably it's shaking a little bit but you can see the Cadillac there.

The Beast if you're getting a little nauseous we get it we're going to cut away for just one second from this I want to take you to Julia Angley who is also live for us in Texas she's watching the border and Julia you just heard that conversation Tom and I had with Congressman Gonzalez you've heard some of the conversations here tonight give.

Us a reality check right where do the numbers stand where do things stand well the reality is and funny enough that the president tonight will make a lot of the same points that Gonzalez just made the congressman Gonzalez just made and that Republicans and Congress are now not willing to negotiate with him on the border because they're now so.

Tied to Trump but he's going to paint that as a massive problem in fact just last week I was down here at the border but over in Arizona where I got to talk to Trump's I sorry to President Biden's Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection who said because Republicans won't fund that bill the National Security Supplemental and other.

Supplemental funding request they're going to have to really even get away from even the status quo they won't be able to continue performing operations we already know ice is $500 million in the whole and they have to start releasing more migrants from detention come May and this is all as we know that detection equipment for fentol which as.

We know is so key and on the minds of so many Americans right now is sitting in a warehouse unused because Republicans haven't been able to give them the fund to put that in the ground so I think this is something the president is going to hit on tonight to say that it's really Republicans who are stying his efforts at the border and that's a big.

Reason why we've seen him wait and not take unilateral action between the failure of that National Security supplement on the border component of it and tonight because he doesn't want to get in the way of this narrative that it's Republicans to blame and that if they don't come to the table and give more funding it will be their fault if.

The numbers go up at the border I will say as far as the reality check at the border we're not at record highs last year in December we saw record highs of over 12,000 a day things are actually a lot quieter now we see about between 5 and 7,000 migrants crossing a day now under the Obama Administration they said more than 1,000 a day was too much but.

We're not at record highs anymore hie Julia anley thank you so much and if you wondering why you've been looking at a door that's the door that President Biden will walk out at the White House and you can see the balcony there we expect to see the president obviously any minute as he makes that two mile Journey right down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Literally right behind where we're sitting to head over to the capital and we should let our viewers know that the Press is assembled right outside that door you see right there as soon as the president comes out we're going to pause for a moment so we can listen to the president take questions we don't know if he's going to answer them he.

Obviously has a lot to do tonight but he may say a few things so we're going to wait and listen to him we have several cameras that are live or hot as we say in this business all around the White House you see up here a balcony from the White House as well I believe and then also gu guest for the president we know that the first lady has several guests.

That are going to be sitting with her and now inside another camera inside the house Chambers as people are entering I can see Senator Warren and some of the other uh fine members of our Senate walking through the back of the head let me tell you man yeah yeah I I can catch him I can catch him um maybe some more over there I can't tell it's too far.

Away you're looking at stat Hall Statuary Hall which is where everyone walks through to go take their seats and just to remind you there is a lot of pump and Circumstance that that happens here at the State of the Union you have lawmakers filing in and again one of these rare instances Tom where you have both house and senate members right both.

Senators and members of Congress coming in uh to sit in the same place to be there to listen to the speech and it's a lot of pressure on a president it's one of the biggest moments of his year as we are taking a look now at all these live cameras that we have up but I got to be honest with you H this one feels a little different right sometimes state.

Of the unions get a bad WAP for being kind of boring but this one there is so much pressure on the president there's also this you know these unknowns will Republicans fire back at him will he be heckled will he be heckled by democrats um who's in in the the guest of honor right who's not in that guest of honor Circle um and then will the president.

Perform because the microscope the spotlight they're all on him to deliver tonight Democrats hope he delivers they have announced the Biden Harris reelect team that that the election essentially started this week you have super Tuesday and now you have state of the union and as we've mentioned it's going to be the biggest speech because we don't know if.

There's going to be a debate it could be the biggest speech until the convention well former president Trump just said this week he debate anytime anywhere but can we real talk Tom I know real talk real talk yeah here's the thing a lot of people probably don't remember the last few State of the Union speeches or any state.

If you've even watched the State of the Union speech right but this year as you point out it is different it could be a Difference Maker as President Biden really fights for his political future here this year in 2024 as we are watching all of this and again we are potentially any minute from seeing President Biden walk out that door and.

Just to remind you he's going to walk out you I can guarantee you I've stood on that uh that lawn many a time trying to shout some questions at uh at former presidents sometimes they answer sometimes they don't he's going to get in that pretend they can't hear you it's very noisy out there occasionally they're he's going to get in the Beast.

He's going to take the motorcade just down Pennsylvania Avenue we should have a live shot of every second of it two blocks from where we are here in the studio we'll probably be able to hear the sirens our Congressional insiders might be able to hear it as well Molly ball senior political correspondent at the Wall Street Journal and Eugene Scott.

Political reporter at axios Molly let me start with you with what you're looking for tonight based on the conversations you've heard here what we've heard from lawmakers and where this goes yeah I think the number one thing that we're all going to be watching is not so much what the president say your questions to our his uh demeanor I whether he's.

Vigorous whether he seems to be in command uh whether how long he speaks uh how smoothly he speaks uh there you know the American people have so many questions about whether this President is is up to the job and uh and and so I think that that is the main test he is facing uh beyond that uh what what he talks about is going to be really.

Important you know when it comes to immigration we know that's so important but does he focus more on blaming Republicans or does he have any actions of his own that he plans to announce tonight so those are a couple of the things that I'm definitely going to be watching for Eugene what do you think the American people want to hear from.

The president you know he he'll have their attention he'll have their ears tonight but what does he have to say to connect as we looking at live pictures right now the vice president walking in uh to the house chamber right now followed by uh Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and sen Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of course Mitch.

McConnell's last time walking in in this position at a state of the union and vice president Kam Harris obviously walking up a historic vice president here and it's interesting Tom when we get finally these shots the cameras go up in the room and we can get a sense of who's in who's where and I say what are they wearing not to be not to be glib.

About it but because there are messages that are sent right I see a lot of women wearing white here uh I I believe that is a nod to the suffrages movement there as you see the vice president shaking hands she's hugging various folks uh and this is this is all part of the process here what's also interesting is when President Biden walks in he's going to.

Have an opportunity to come down that very same aisle shake some hands talk to some folks and you know who likes to shake some hands and talk to some folks it's President Biden that walk can be a long walk for him before he begins the speech as we get now our very first look at the chamber on one of frankly the biggest and most watched nights in.

American politics and we're about to see something we have not seen yet in American history and that is because this is the first time speaker Johnson weiding there in the house right next to the vice president the head of the Senate we should also point out and they'll be behind President Biden Who deliver his fourth address to the.

Chambers but also his his third state of the union and it's interesting H because you have I want to be a fly on that chair behind him I want to know he's a gentleman from Louisiana like look how friendly they are much different from what we saw last year I don't if you remember but Kevin McCarthy was there and it wasn't so friendly and we've seen.

Other times with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi uh and Mike Pence what's interesting though I don't I don't know if people at home know this but but the Senators and and the members of the house that get to shake the hand wait for hours and hours to get that position let's listen in to see if if our the natural sound from inside the room is.

Picked up by our cameras yeah they're probably pretty far away to be able to hear any of that audio as you see Senator Mitch McConnell there taking it all in again somebody who just this week endorsed former president Trump despite safe to say and I think an understatement Bad Blood between the two of them ever since.

January 6th and been through so much right losing his sister-in-law making that announcement that he's going to leave that post um and also suffering some some health setbacks last year you'll remember although he will remain he says in the Senate he's going to keep his position as a senator but he will not be the leader and in that.

Endorsement listen Mitch McConnell does not often deliver gushingly exuberant statements about anything but it was a rather perfunctory endorsement of the former president Trump noting the requisite support as you saw Joe Mansion there's margerie Taylor Green in the red she might be one to watch here as we talk about we heard from her last last.

Year as well she she got up and she shouted at the president heckling him uh she's wearing red tonight as you mentioned pointing out what what some members of Congress are wearing uh we'll be able to spot her and we see here a delegation from the house Allin white I want to bring in now Maria Teresa Kumar we mentioned Mark Lauder Brendan buck as.

Well and Brendan I'll start with you as we see Senator Ley walk in you have you know these rooms you are somebody who's worked for speakers before you get what these moments are like what's going through the mind of a house speakers you see Mike Johnson now at this moment it's not his night but he is going to be very visible right over the president's.

Shoulder for most of the evening yeah well I'll tell you that the speakers I worked for tried to B themselves uh sort of faded in the background John Boehner's job uh as you would say was is just pick a spot on the back of Barack Obama's head and stare at that for for two hours if you could not not to make it yeah but these are these are Big.

Nights I mean there are a few nights in the capital where there is a palpable energy that you can just tell there is a special moment for democracy taking place and this is one of those and even the members who don't necessarily agree with the the president they're going to show up because they know this is a big part of our system it is a big moment.

For um the rest of the world to see how we operate and so um even though there will probably be a little more acrimony in the chamber than there was maybe 15 or 20 years ago when we would do these things um it is still a special moment and and I expect people will um I think largely rise to the occasion and Hale we we just saw representative Cory Bush I.

Know a lot of eyes are going to be on her as well to see what she happens in in reference to the war in Gaza right now in reference to funding there also in connection to her guest who are going to be in the gallery tonight because there's also been talk that maybe members who have been invited uh people who are sitting up top may also Heckle.

The president again this is all things people are talking about none of it may happen as we Senator see Senators like Senator Rubio enter the chambers right now but it's stuff we're going to be watching and let me talk a little bit too about some of the Optics here as well you saw those those uh members of the democratic women's caucus in white.

They are also wearing fighting for Reproductive Freedom pens that is going to be another big issue particularly in light of that controversial Alabama Supreme Alabama State Court ruling that Frozen embryos should be considered children you can likely expect to hear the president nod to that on another issue on the other side of the aisle.

Marjorie Taylor green wearing a say her name Laken Riley shirt L Riley of course the nursing student from the University of Georgia who was killed by uh by somebody who had crossed the border who is here and she has become in many ways a symbol for Republicans her death her parents had been invited by a Georgia Republican they chose not to come but.

There will be a vacant seat in honor and conservatives have have put a hashtag up and they' put that out on social media as well Mark Lauder as we look at at a lot of the Senate Republicans that are entering the chamber right now we heard something pretty sort of I I would say remarkable from representative Tony Gonzalez who essentially said Donald.

Trump is the leader of the party they should negotiate with him and yet he holds no office right now um is that the status or the state of the Republican party right now can they not sort of govern themselves they have to sort of check in with the the former president no I wouldn't go that far I mean obviously if we're talking about.

Long-term policy plans you would check in with the leader of the party but you know the place where I work during the day the America First policy Institute we came out against that bipartisan legislation weeks before the uh the former president uh announced his opposition to it there was actually bipartisan opposition to it in the.

Senate uh there was many reasons to oppose that bill uh I know the obviously the president adding his voice to that I think put the final nail into it but uh a lot there were a lot of conservatives especially in the house that very much opposed that and said do not bring that over here uh we just saw representative hakee Jeff as we should point out you.

Know who we haven't seen who's here apparently you are you ready for are you ready for a real George Santos he is no longer in Congress we haven't seen him yet but he is apparently in the building he was expected to he has uh I'm going to turn to if we have Ryan Noble's getting ready I know Ryan was moving to a place where he had a headset.

He's going to be able to watch all this and be able to speak with this in a couple of minutes here he apparently has floor privileges as a former member Brendan as you know he can return any former member who's I think not been expelled and he was not does have floor Pages for the rest of their lives unless they are lobbyist he also showed up was.

It in Iowa or New Hampshire he showed up to the Trump Victory party in Iowa New Hampshire um I guess is going to be sort of a Conservative Republican pseudo celebrity uh either invited or not invited but we'll we'll definitely look out for him we've seen a lot of uh both Republican and Democratic senators as they enter the chambers here um Senator.

Ted Cruz Ted Cruz of course from the border state of Texas handily winning his primary just a couple of nights ago yeah he's got another Senate race coming up Maria Teresa Kumar talk to us about about the issue of abortion and and how much you hope the president focuses his speech on this topic well I think if you see who are the guest of different.

Members of Congress on the first lady they are from they are Katie Cox from Texas who had to leave Texas in order to get an abortion there is the woman from Alabama talking about IVF and so this is front and center one of the things that we learned during the red wave that did not happened during the midterm elections was that there were plenty of.

Independent and moderate Republican dads who said abortion is going to time to a bit too far and so that red wave that we expected to not happen because abortion is absolutely one of the things that every single American recognizes that we want freedom what we're going to hear from the president is not just framing Freedom as a woman's agency but it's.

Going to be about General freedoms if the government is all of a sudden deciding who can or cannot be part of your family planning then all of a sudden it should Ricochet on what other freedoms are they going to take away from you and I do think that there was such a misstep on this IVF on the Republican side from Alabama because all.

Of a sudden energized women that may have not been in the game prior because I F usually means that I cannot leave the state my flam planning now happens at home and it becomes very personal and this idea that someone is now interjecting in that message I want to go to Ryan I'll Ryan all right we're going to check in with some of our.

Reporters I do want to Circle back to the topic of IVF in Alabama because we know the person who's going to give the rebuttal tonight Senator Katie Brit has her own story from the state of Alabama I'm going to check in first with Ryan nobl Ryan so we were getting some early indications that that you know obviously a lot of the faces we we've known with.

We've known about but then also some surprise guests as we're looking at Senator Bernie Sanders um and also Ryan just so you know I may have to interrupt you because we're starting to see some action at the White House as well if we can put those live picks for our viewers right now so Ryan tell tell us what what what new reporting you have about who's.

In the gallery yeah well um the first thing I just have to say Tom uh that stands out as you're sitting in this room right now is the Sea of uh Democratic women members of Congress who have uh worked it out together to dress in all white uh as part of a message that they're sending related to women's rights and.

Reproductive Rights and not only did they all dress uh in the same color but they've all decided to kind of bunch themselves together and sit in this in in the same area uh and so when you walk into the room your eyes are immediately drawn to that area uh and part of what we see a lot of these members do uh is try and send a message even though they.

Aren't going to be the ones speaking tonight and there's no doubt that they are sending that message uh through just the way that they're dressed and that the color that they chose to wear uh that they're not the only ones that are doing this you know there are Republican members and we can see them from our perch up in the gallery who are wearing.

Uh White ribbons and also uh buttons uh that say the name lak and uh that say a name of the of the uh young woman who was killed by a miget lake and Riley everybody we're going to listen in to see if the president says anything don't jump I need you see you all later here for.

you making a brief comment to the folks up on the balcony joking don't jump I need you to his supporters who have gathered there up over at the White House as he gets into his vehicle affectionately nicknamed the Beast and gets ready for that quick drive down Pennsylvania Avenue quicker than Tom you.

Or I could do it since you won't have any traffic lights to contend with that's one of the perks of course of being president a significant moment for him as you saw the first lady walk out just ahead of him obviously the guests that she and he will have as their people here at the State of the Union significant and meant to send a message.

To see the president saying a few words there talking probably to his wife inside the vehicle pointing to the cameras who are out there as well Peter Alexander is live for us on the other side of the White House on the North Lawn Peter talk us through some of these moment here yeah hi just a moment ago as the president walked out there on the.

South Portico of the white house before entering the Beast we heard him reporters yelling questions to him among others ask him how he's feeling right now he said good before looking at other staff members telling them not to jump as you joke he said uh he's going to need them there he is alongside the first lady though as they uh wave this.

Is the president's third state of the union but obviously the stakes in this one as we've noted are so much more critical than they have been in any speech he is delivered before the American people to this point and as I speak to White House advisers they acknowledge that there's going to be a lot of focus tonight on the president's.

Delivery but really what they think the focus should be on tonight is on what the president has delivered and they recognize the urgency of this moment to best communicate to the American people Americans who don't pay attention to the news headlines every day for whom this is a unique opportunity to hear from him in this venue speaking for more than an.

Hour as expected tonight White House AIDS have insisted and and frankly polling shows that the right on a lot of these issues that many of the president's policy positions and his accomplishments are viewed as popular but that a lot of Americans don't know that he is responsible for some of those accomplishments the president as you've.

Been reporting expected to frame this as a comeback story of sorts reminding people how we got here January 2021 you'll remember more than 100,000 Americans died that was the deadliest month of the pandemic for the United States and the difference this President will insist that he has made in helping the country Rebound in the course of.

That time in spite of a lot of work that still needs to be done you've hit these highlights but I'm told by a senior adviser as I walk out here the President right out of the gates is going to focus heavily on the topic of democracy not just around the world Ukraine certainly on that front but here at home with the threat posed by the former president.

Donald Trump hi and Tom with former house Speaker Nancy Pelosi right there we also want to point out that Caravan that was behind the Beast is all part of sort of the formation that goes from the White House to Capitol Hill as the president makes his way there we expect them there Hi in.

Just a few minutes the drive is is pretty fast the question I I still wonder about is that protest and if it if at all it the president can hear it if it makes it to his radar there's people have even told him that there's a pro Palestinian protest happening just outside uh Capitol Hill and just outside of where his speech is is going to take.

Place uh seen a sea of white right now inside the house chamber a lot of women obviously female uh Democrats uh Representatives who wanted to send a big message tonight yeah and listen there is a part of this that is about the Optics right it's about how things look it's about who you're texting what is that device there I.

Don't know if I know what that device I believe that looks like a countdown clock on the national debt Deb common thing that some some of these Republicans will wear at times I want to bring in R Nobles who I believe we have who has probably one of the best seats in the House for somebody who is not a member of Congress or an invited guest.

And Ryan you are up there we don't have Ryan just yet we have David Pluff in fact Democratic strategist somebody who knows what it is like to have a high stakes moment like this and I was talking to David earlier in the night and David talk talk to our viewers about if you had the chance to speak to President Biden you I know you've been.

In this position before as we see a live pictures here of Senator Romney in the chamber but if if you had a chance to speak to President Biden right before he departed for Capitol Hill what's the one piece of advice you'd give them tonight well try and keep it limited cuz you don't want to put too much in their head I'd probably say have fun you know.

You've prepped the speech is ready you've practiced performance go out there and let it rip and be loose session will come to order we're going to pause for a moment and listen to Speaker John of the committee on the part of the house to escort the president of the United States into the chamber the gentleman from Louisiana Mr.

Scalise the gentleman from Minnesota Mr emmer the gentoman from New York York miss stonic the gentleman from North Carolina Mr Hudson the gentleman from Alabama Mr Palmer the gentleman from Utah Mr Moore The Gentle woman from Michigan Mrs mlan the house will be in order the house will be in.

Order the gentleman from Oklahoma Mr Cole gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr renth thaler gentleman from Kentucky Mr Rogers gentleman from New York Mr jeffri the gentle woman from Massachusetts Miss Clark The Gentle woman or gentle man from California Mr agalar the gentleman from California Mr Lou the gentlewoman from Washington Miss Del the gentleman.

From Colorado Mr nagus the gentoman from Illinois Miss Underwood The Gentle woman from Texas Miss Escobar the gentle woman from Massachusetts Miss Trahan gentleman from Michigan Mr kildy the Pres Johnson there acknowledging all the leadership in the house and we listen to the vice president of the Senate to escort the.

President of the United States into the house chamber the senator from New York Mr Schumer the senator from Illinois Mr Durban the senator from Washington Mrs Murray the senator from Michigan miss stabenau the senator from Minnesota miss kashar the senator from Virginia Mr Warner the senator from Wisconsin Miss.

Baldwin the senator from Kentucky Mr McConnell the senator from South Dakota Mr th the senator from Wyoming Mr baraso the senator from West Virginia Mrs Capo and the senator from Iowa Miss Ernst the members of the escort committee will exit the chamber through the lobby doors.

The escort committee appointed by the speaker and by the Vice President as we are just minutes away now from President Biden walking in for his State of the Union Address potentially depending on how things go in November his final or perhaps not and maybe his most important right and I think I think everyone will agree to that you were mentioning the.

Pomp and Circumstance of this moment as we look at representative Matt gates from Florida someone else who possibly could possibly Heckle uh the former president and uh we're looking here as other Senators gather um to talk about likely the importance of this speech and what happens next right and and what to expect from President Biden.

Eugene Scott who joins us now um Eugene what are you looking out for in in the president's speech well I'm looking forward to him addressing many of the issues that we know voters have said are concern him uh in surveys and polls and one of them quite frankly is his age he's going to have to look energetic uh there needs to be Vigor he needs to be.

Sharp and let these individual knows that he has what it takes to stay in leadership Molly as as you Watch What Happens here how how much of a fight is going to happen tonight how much of the heckling to back and forth well Republicans seem to have concluded that the back and forth last year did them no favors I think we've heard a lot of them.

Say that they expect more decorum tonight in part because they don't want to give Joe Biden that political gift last year when he was able to sort of clap back at them that was a moment that the White House really relished and I don't think Republicans enjoyed it very much so we'll see it may be too big a Temptation for for some of the opponents.

To to want to to to yell at him but uh I wouldn't be surprised if they sit on their hands a little bit as as we wait for others to enter the chambers right now and of course just behind them the president how much politically do you think it's going to matter for him if if he hits it out of the park or if he has stumbles historically we have not seen.

Presidents get much of a bump out of these State of the Union addresses it's sort of an inside Washington phenomenon but as many people have said tonight this is so high stakes for this President I think in the weight of in the wake of last month special Council report that really Amplified so many concerns among voters across the board.

Among Democrats specifically about the president's age about his ability to perform so if he's able to as you said hit it out of the park perhaps that does make a difference but perhaps that does reset the narrative for him and of course if he does stumble in some way I think that could be absolutely disastrous as we just saw margerie.

Taylor green as well um Eugene Scott you know this is going to be a close election every poll shows that uh the president having some issues with minority groups across the country including Arab Americans black Americans Hispanics do do you think he he addresses any of those groups tonight uh I think that's very possible I mean we.

Know that he's going to talk about the conflict in Gaza and this is something that many voters want to hear about including young voters so demographic that he needs to be victorious in many of those states that will determine who will win in November uh we were just listening as they were announcing the Supreme Court is now entering led by.

Chief Justice John Roberts who will uh appear there he is Sonia s MOA I believe just behind him Jus as cor Cori elen haagan Justice Kavanagh as well and I think we we also have our first pictures.

Of the beast that is carrying the president right now as it enters Capitol Hill and makes that left turn into a secure location where the president will be able to depart and enter the chambers along with his wife the first lady they will split up for a short time so she can go up to the gallery and watch the speech.

With her uh invited guests and Molly something that I found interesting was that there will be a lot of important people that will be um sort of uh acknowledged um there will be nobody from from Israel uh no no Palestinian nobody from Gaza it seems they sort of avoided that when it came to guests you know this is a little bit of a a.

Different topic but on the subject of the Court one thing we do know is that the president plans to call out the Supreme Court and talk about roie Wade talk specifically those one of the exts released the the decision that that was made by the court and and say you know the court said that women have political power and they've shown that uh in his.

In talking about his desire to see row reinstated so I mean I think on on Gaz it'll be very interesting does he does the president want to speak to that leftwing of the party that has been Pro protesting that we see protesting outside tonight or is he going to speak to the broad middle of the American electorate that is more favorable to.

Israel I'll be very interested to as we see Justice KI Brown Jackson and the Supreme Court will have such a significant role in this election as well they already have waiting on some of the court cases that involve former president Trump uh right now all smile sometimes we we've had the justices uh not smiling during states of the Union.

But uh we'll see what happens tonight we are moments away from the president about to enter the chamber uh we want to thank all of our guests tonight on this portion of our broadcast but now we want to go to an NBC News special report tonight President Biden on the state of our.

Union the president set to address a bitterly divided Congress outlining the challenges facing Americans at home and abroad the war in Ukraine now at a critical Crossroads while fears remain of a wider War spreading in the Middle East here at home despite an improving economy Americans under pressure with the cost of living still stubbornly.

High plus growing tensions over some key issues including immigration and abortion rights with 8 months until the general election and his approval rating underwater can the president make the case that the state of the union is strong from NBC News president Biden State of the Union live from Washington here are Lester Holt and Savannah.

Guthrie good evening and welcome everyone to our NBC news coverage of President Biden State of the Union Address tonight is a pivotal night for the president as he prepares to deliver what could be the most important speech of his presidency we are still eight months out from the general election but with that rematch Now set between him.

And former president Trump tonight might be the president's best chance to get his message out there members of Congress already assembled on the house floor the message expected to address the most critical issues the country is facing including immigration the economy and of course two Wars raging overseas our Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan.

Nobles is inside the chamber Ryan what are you seeing there as folks continue to file their way in well Lester we're already seeing members of Congress displaying messages that they want the world to see even though they're not going to have a voice in this room here tonight they want to make sure the policy issues that they care about are.

Front and center among them you see a sea of white and this is the women from the Democratic caucus they decided to band together to wear white in representation of women's rights and in particular Reproductive Rights something else to look for tonight is that some members purposely wearing yellow and blue to show their ongoing support of.

Ukraine and of course the push for that supplemental Aid package to pass at some point we're also noticing Republicans in the crowd today many of them wearing white ribbons uh this is their way of demonstrating their concerns about the ongoing border crisis and the violence that they believe as associated with it some also displaying pins with the name.

Of lakan Riley who of course was that young woman who was allegedly murdered by an undocumented immigrant you know ler in Savannah it's important to point out that tonight the president is entering what is really one of the most partisan house Chambers in a generation there's of course only just a few votes separating Republicans and Democrats.

Those slim margin make it really difficult for Congress to get anything of substance accomplished and because that partisanship is at an all-time high there is of course the possibility of the president being heckled by members of his opposing party and although the new speaker Mike Johnson who it's important to point out he'll be sitting.

Behind the president for the first time he's only been in the job for a couple of months he has instructed his members to abide by the house rules and he's told them to display what he calls decorum the other thing we'll be looking for tonight Lester in Savannah is that there's going to be several guests in the gallery who represent various causes.

They have been invited by members of Congress or the White House among them the families of the American hostages that are still being captive in held captive in Gaza and of course caught up in that conflict between Hamas and Israel and of course we do expect the conflict in the Middle East to be a key Focus tonight we do know that the.

President will address the situation but as we talk about protesters there's also that possibility that an individual ual member maybe of the president's own party or perhaps one of their guests attempts to Stage some sort of a protest to put pressure on President Biden to work to bring an end to the war and of course the humanitarian crisis uh that.

Is playing out there in the Middle East and then we should also not forget that all of this comes against the backdrop of the ongoing impeachment inquiry that was launched by House Republicans they've been of course investigating the president's family uh this has been an investigation that's been going on for months the president's son recently.

Testifying in front of the impeachment inquiry committees now the White House has dismissed this all as a sham even some House Republicans have of course said that this has failed to deliver the evidence necessary but it's something to keep in the back of your mind as a President addresses this group here tonight that there are many of these.

Members who believe that he should be impeached even though at this point they've yet to demonstrate the evidence that would rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanor so we do expect the president in this chamber uh very shortly at this point members are just Milling about uh having conversations with each other uh catching up as they.

Prepare for this moment it's interesting uh Lester in Savannah we were in the chamber very early this afternoon around 3:00 and there were already members lining up to get those key coveted seats along the aisle where the president will walk in so that they can get that moment shake the president's hand and be seen on national television and seen by.

Millions of Americans it's of course one of the most coveted seats in politics and we're going to see that on full display here when the president enters this room in just a couple of minutes snah noting quite a contrast in the number of people and the people we're seeing in there including George Santos an expelled member of Congress who still.

As a former member of Congress not convicted of a crime has a right to be there on the house floor and has decided to come tonight no invitation necessary so he's there just one of the many storylines that we see developing on the floor tonight and and the timing of all this coming 2 days after super Tuesday a prime moment moment the president has to.

Really get his message out there to respond to the darker view of America that Republicans have been offering we want to bring in our chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander uh Peter what can we expect from the president lesser in effect this is the starting gun on the 2024 campaign as a senior Aid to the president described to.

Me I think there's a couple things to keep an eye on this is a night that's filled with both challenges and opportunities the Challen here of course the president facing low approval ratings many Americans uh have questions real concerns about his age his physical and mental health right now but it's an opportunity because the president has.

Accomplished in the eyes of the White House a lot since coming to office and that's why they're going to try to frame this as a comeback story of sorts you'll remember January 2021 more Americans died due to covid that month when the president came to office than any other month during the course of the pandemic more than.

105,000 Americans and yet the economy has been growing in the time since the president will Tout The strong job growth he'll tout the fact that inflation though still high is now 2third of what it was at its peak and while a lot of the focus for many Americans given concerns about the president's age will be on his delivery.

The White House's primary focus tonight is on what the president has delivered for the American people I'm told by a senior Aid as I walked out to the North Lawn to speak with you this evening that the President right out of the gates is going to focus specifically on the topic of democracy not just around the world including in places like Ukraine but.

Here at home with the threat that's posed by the potential for another Trump presidency the topic of Reproductive Rights as Ryan noted a moment ago is going to be key with um a a key individual in the first ladyes box this evening being someone whose family benefited from IVF another one an individual there who was someone who.

Sued the state of Texas for its um near total abort abortion ban and finally of course is the issue of the economy as well the president will sharply contrast his vision his time in office to that of his predecessor though he may not refer to him his name and on that topic the president's going to say my lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and.

Democracy to give hate no Safe Harbor now some other people my age see a different story an American story of resentment revenge and retribution that is not me just one example of the contast the president is expected to make tonight from excerpts we received only a short time ago Lester in Savannah all right Peter thank you and to set the.

Scene there we see former speaker Nancy Pelosi members of Congress mixing and mingling with members of the cabinet Supreme Court Justices that have assembled there we see the second gentleman entering right now we await the State of the Union one of the story traditions of our democracy the president addressing the nation in just.

A few moments he's left the White House and we expect him to enter that chamber at any moment by tradition he will be announced and then he'll enter we'll have Applause we'll have a moment to keep chatting and for that we turn for the moment to our moderator of Meet the Press Kristen Welker second gentleman giving a shout.

Out there to vice president Harris his wife so when you talk about a state of the union it's so often in past years about policy it certainly will be tonight President Biden needs to lay out what he would do with the second term but it is also about performance tonight there are persistent questions about his age it shows up in poll after poll it is.

No secret how he performs tonight is as key as anything that he says from that Podium Savannah you've hit the nail on the head this is an extraordinary moment for that very reason because yes we're going to be paying attention to all of his policy proposals but everyone is going to be focused on his performance think about last year he was widely seen.

As giving a very strong robust speech in part because when Republicans Jered at him when they heckled him he flipped it around he turned it on their head can he show the same type of fight here comes the first lady entering the chamber if we want to pause for a moment and Savannah I think that that is what people will be looking for tonight.

Does he show the same fight and does it feel authentic we know that the White House has been preparing for some jering from Republicans even though the house Speaker has encouraged his conference not to do that but undoubtedly that is something you might see all right we'll pause for a moment as the president is about to be.

Introduced Mr Speaker the president's cabinet and H as we can continue our discussion as we wait for for the president there's also the question will the president go on the defense about some of the issues immigration the economy or taken the alternative View and and a positive affirmative case for.

His policies well I think you'll see both but on the issue of immigration I can tell you based on conversations that I've had with sources close to the Biden campaign he will look to flip the script on immigration he is going to look to do what he's been trying to do with a smaller audience obviously he's got tens of millions of eyeballs on him tonight.

To try to point out hey wait a second you could have passed a comprehensive bipartisan security Bill and Congress did not I would not be surprised to hear the president talk about that tonight in a full-throated way I also spoke with a member of Republican leadership who's in the room tonight who suggested that that may not be the most effective line of.

Attack for the president Republicans have been going after him on the humanitarian crisis at the border for months now this is one of the central arguments against him we've seen something really interesting happen for the last however many years we we sit here we talk about how the economy people's money is what drives them to.

Get out and vote come November this year now for one of the first times we are seeing in some polls immigration overtake that as the number one issue that affects people I will tell you I was texting with a democratic member of Congress who's now in the room I asked how this person was feeling they said I'm excited but honestly a little bit.

Anxious because there is a lot writing on the president's performance tonight Savannah as you point out not what he says but how he says it yeah and Kristen he's been rehearsing this speech he was at Camp David this this weekend we've been told that he's been going over it with the fine tooth comb really looking at every single word he knows how.

Important this is he knows the stakes of this moment he has been making the case against Donald Trump in recent weeks tonight is his night to make the case for Joe Biden to counter the critics who say that he doesn't have it in him to serve another four years I also think that there is a political challenge here he's got to energize the base tonight.

He's got to do that but he also has to reach across the aisle to those Nicki Haley independent voters moderates those are the types of Voters who could make a big difference in some of these he came he came right out when When Donald Trump appeared to reject those voters I'll take them they're they're welcome in my campaign that's.

Right and remember what Donald Trump has said he's basically said I don't need those voters so those voters are for the taking although on Tuesday night in a statement he did say if you want to join my movement you may but he was not moving in their Direction he said feel free to move in my direction but it raises the political question you raised.

Is really interesting because how do you perceive this election about turning out your base and is is the enthusiasm on the left against Trump more than it's for Biden and does that create an opportunity for Biden then to move to the center if he wants to tr to try to capture those Independents the Suburban moms that's you know the the tried and.

True swing voters who decide so many elections to make the bet uh that the progressives to his left are not going to find Donald Trump more palatable than Joe Biden however concerned they are about some of the the issues that they have like his handling of the Israel Hamas War absolutely because listen this is going to have to be both right is the.

If the answer is both it's a turnout election you got to turn out your base but the margins are so close here that you also have to appeal to those Suburban moms in those Swing Swing Battleground States and that's going to be critical for either President Biden or for former president Donald Trump to do who by the way he's watching I mean.

Now that we are hitting the general election full swing this week 240 days to go now until November he is going to be he says you know quote unquote factchecking or at least responding to some of the things that theid president saying but Kristen we just said this on Tuesday night I'm going to say it again hie it's a rematch of 2020 now we know.

It's not a replay things are different four years later things are very different first of all former president Trump is facing four different indictments his first criminal trial gets underway later this month so that is a massive difference in the primary it has emboldened him it's energized him it's allowed him to Galvanize Republican.

Voters around him how will it play in The General election here's why it's also different during the last election cycle candidate Biden was never trailing former president Trump very different situation this time around polls show he's trailing him in general election polls as well as in key Battleground State polls and that's what based on my.

Conversations with the president's allies really has them conern gets back to the idea of of of losing the narrative and in this in this case President Biden a lot of the supporters think that he's been slow could respond to some of these things that's right they say that he hasn't shown enough urgency and in fact I was speaking to.

Some of his closest allies today who said tonight's when you are going to see that urgency ev Everything starts tonight and they say this is when people really start paying attention we'll have to see if that's the case well and voters want to see that he has a pep in his step let's turn to Christine Roman she's our senior business correspondent.

And hie does mention now that immigration is right up there it's been the it's the economy stupid has been the political cliche since the the '90s well now it's the economy and its immigration but the economy is such an interesting picture because as you well know and I know you have these numbers memorized so many of the metrics show an improving.

Economy and yet people don't say they feel it and they comes down to inflation and specifically the grocery store absolutely the state of the American economy is strong this should be a big advantage in a State of the Union Address but the state of the American psyche is skeptical or exhausted depending on who you talk to and.

Exhausted by you know the the the 3 years of higher inflation inflation is moderating you'll hear the president say that today he won't say it's mission accomplished but prices are higher than they were 3 years ago comes in president Mr Speaker the president of the United States thank you so.

Much I want to hear that president who spent a lot of time in these Chambers still has a lot of friends and acquaintances and he will take his time as he has in previous years making his way through this crowd.

And greeting virtually anyone who can stand along the sideline I'm so struck by it because I mean more than anywhere in Washington the halls of Congress or where Joe Biden feels at home having spent literally decades in Congress and also having run for president three times you can imagine a young Joe Biden imagined himself in this role and it.

Seems he's relishing every single minute and this is the Joe Biden that so many people are are familiar with the glad handing the chitchatting he's going to stretch out this moment who knows how long we'll be talking here until the president goes to Del Del his speech and what's so interesting right we talk about both sides of the aisle you've got.

The president in the aisle talking with Republicans he spent some time there those are some of the Republican members he was greeting obviously that's Democrat Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer behind him but this is a place where he does have a level of comfort where he does know folks it's also interesting as we've been looking.

At these cameras in the room looking at these live feeds as it's happening the way that you saw his cabinet members come in as we know that uh secretary Miguel Cardona is the designated Survivor that of course is always that we look for at a State of the Union Address but did you see secretary mayorcas getting greeted frequently by.

Democratic members as he now is facing so much heat so much fire this impeachment push from House Republicans there's a lot of drama in this room there's some tension you don't see it on the president's face at least at the moment but look at this shot Marjorie Taylor green right behind him and I I believe that's a hat that says make.

America great again a magga hat and then there are buttons that we understand that some Republicans will be wearing uh you know talking about the the border the B border listen she said say her name lak Riley lak Riley is that nursing student who was killed at the campus of the.

University of Georgia not long ago uh and it has become a flasho for many Republicans with the suspect in that case a migrant who crossed into this country uh and Republicans have gone so far some of them as to suggest that President Biden has blood on his hands in her death her parents were invited chose not to come well a lot of the.

Members of Congress the Republican members of Congress are wearing either pins or ribbons or in some cases a picture of that young woman who was tragically killed and we just saw margerie Taylor green I'm glad hie that your lip reading or your is skills are in fine form or you have better hearing than I did cuz I couldn't make that out.

Myself but so we see the president enter I mean talk about relishing the moment you know the exit last year was 20 minutes long which in past years it's 5 six seven minutes but this is somebody who wants to greet every person who wants to do retail politicking with these members of Congress and in some cases Kristen these members of Congress.

Will come in the afternoon unless you're a member of leadership there's no designated seating so you got to save your seat and members of Congress will do it to snap a selfie or in the case perhaps of margorie Taylor green to have that moment here's Joe man here's Joe Mansion who's of course announced he's not running for reelection uh Joe.

Mansion of West Virginia Democrats very concerned uh bracing for the very strong likelihood that they will lose that seat but look I I go back to what we were saying that Joe Biden has spent a lot of time in these Chambers one of his closest AES was asked is he nervous for a moment this big the anwers from this Aid was no he doesn't get nervous this.

Is where he is most comfortable um in terms of the top officials we've seen within his administration I was struck by secretary Anthony blinkin who has spent weeks months over overseas trying secure to secure a deal to get the hostages released in the Middle East uh in in Israel's war against Hamas they have not been able to reach that deal.

That looms large over this year there may be some policy announ announcements this very night on that on that issue because this is obviously a huge International issue it's a political issue for President Biden as well as many young voters many voters on the Progressive left are dismayed at the president's wholehearted support for.

Israel we heard the vice president kamla Harris with very strong words asking for a ceasefire inter to see if he matches those words or goes farther that's right I mean this is one of the most complicated policy issues that this Administration and this President faces we anticipate that he's going to announce a new ramped up military effort.

To get Aid into Gaza and so that is going to be significant but this has divided the Democratic party with young voters uh signaling that they disapprove we hear a chant I want to go to Ryan nobl who's in the chamber uh Ryan are you hearing four more years I how how are your powers of hearing and liberating hopefully I can hear a little.

Bit better uh in the actual room Savannah but yes it did appear as the president made his way down past the actual seating of the members he's now of course making his way uh to the Joint Chiefs of Staff just greeted members of the Supreme Court but just as he got down to kind of the final stage before he heads up to the lecturn uh the.

Democratic members were chanting four more years and clapping loudly for the president uh you know it's interesting it's it's really kind of Stark to see him in a room like this uh where he is so great one-on-one that is what President Biden is known for uh where perhaps sometimes in a big speech he's known for verbal gaps or other issues.

When he's having a conversation with someone he often makes that person feel like they're the most important person in the room and even in a venue like this where he has cameras staring at him millions of people watching all over the world world uh he takes a moment with each and every person uh that he sees as he makes his way down the aisle and has.

That moment with them in some cases it's like he's seeing a friend he hasn't seen in a long time with a big hug and it looks as though he's sharing some sort of moment with him and just to get back to that moment with Marjorie Taylor green coming down the aisle you know we could see her Dawn her hat uh clearly looking to have a viral moment she also.

Had uh her camera uh her camera phone pointed at the president the entire time so I'm sure that's something that she's going to attempt to make a big deal of on conservative media it didn't seem to bother the president at all uh it it couldn't tell from our Vantage Point whether or not he engaged with her or just kind of uh walked by as she was uh.

Trying to get her message to him so this is I would imagine somewhat of a frustration for the planners of this event here tonight uh I don't know if they back timed enough or worked up enough time for Joe Biden to to to greet all these folks you know I think there's a level of frustration for him as president that he doesn't have the.

Opportunity to have these conversations as frequently as he did when he was a member of the Senate well he is taking the podium now and we'll be hearing from the president in a moment and Chris very quickly as we we watched him a moment ago pass by members of the Supreme Court and it made it made me wonder at least how many times will.

This court potentially touch issues related to this race absolutely we await their decision on whether former president Trump deserves immunity in the January 6 trial AER thank you the Jil.

Good evening good evening if I were smart I'd go home now Mr Speaker Madame vice president members of Congress my fellow Americans in January 1941 Franklin Roosevelt came to this.

Chamber to speak to the nation and he said I address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union Hitler was on the March war was raging in Europe President Roosevelt's purpose was to wake up Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary time free freedom and democracy we under assault in the world.

Tonight I come to this same chamber to address the nation now it's we who face unprecedented moment in the history of the union and yes my purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy.

Been underall at home as they are today what makes our moment rare is that freedom of democracy are under attack at both at home and overseas at the very same time overseas Putin of Russia is on the March invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and Beyond if anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine I assure you.

He will not but Ukraine Ukraine can stop Putin Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons that needs to defend itself that is.

All that is all Ukraine is asking they're not asking for American soldiers in fact there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine and I'm determined to keep it that way but now assistance Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world.

Leadership wasn't long ago when a Republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered Mr gorbachov tear down this wall now now my predecessor a former Republican president tells Putin quote do whatever the hell you want that's a.

Quote a former president actually said that bowing down to a Russian leader I think it's outrageous it's dangerous and it's unacceptable America is a founding member of NATO the military Alliance of democratic nations created after World War II prevent to prevent war and keep the.

Peace and today we've made NATO stronger than ever welcom Finland to the alliance last year and just this morning Sweden officially joined and their minister is here tonight going stand up welcome welcome welcome.

Welcome and they know how to fight Mr Prime Minister welcome to Nato the strongest military Alliance the world has ever seen I say this to Congress we have to stand up to Putin send me a bipartisan National Security Bill history is literally watching.

History is watching if the United States walks away it will put Ukraine at risk Europe is at risk the Free World will be at risk and Bolding others to do what they wish to do us harm my message to President Putin I've known for a long time is simple we will will not walk away we will not bow.

Down I Will Not Bow Down and a literal sense history is watching history is watching just like history watch 3 years ago on January 6th when Insurrection storm this very capital and plac a dager at the throat of American democracy many of you are here on that.

Darkest of days we all saw with our own eyes the insurrectionist were not Patriots they'd come to stop the peaceful transfer of power to over Stern the will of the people January 6 lies about the 2020 election and the plots that steal the election posed a great gravest threat to US democracy since a civil war but they.

Failed America stood America stood strong and democracy prevailed we must be honest the threat to democracy must be defended my predecessor and some of you here here seek to bury the truth about January 6th I will not do that this is the moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies here's the simple truth.

You can't love your country only when you win as I've done ever since being elected to office I ask all of you without regard to party to join together and defend democracy remember your oath of office foreign and domestic.

Respect respect free and fair elections restore trust in our institutions and make clear political violence has absolutely no place no place in America zero place again it's not it's not hyperboy to suggest history is watching or watching your children and grandchildren will.

Read about this day and what we do history is watching another assault on freedom join the light is Loria Beasley a social worker from Birmingham Alabama 14 months ago 14 months ago she and her husband welcomed a baby girl thanks to Miracle of IVF she scheduled treatments to have that second child but the Alabama.

Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state Unleashed by Supreme Court decision overturning roie Wade she was told her dream would have to wait what her family had got through should never have happened unless Congress acts it could happen again so tonight let's stand up for families like hers to my friends across the aisle don't keep this.

Waiting any longer guarantee the right to a guarantee it nationwide like most Americans I believe row we raid got it right I thank vice president Harris for being incredible leader defending reproductive freedom and so much.

More thank you my predecessor came to office determined to see roie Wade overturned he's the reason was overturned and he brags about it look at the chaos that has resulted joining us tonight is Kate Cox the wife and mother from Dallas she's become pregnant again.

And had a fetus of a fatal condition her doctor told Kate that her own life and her ability to have shut children in the future were at risk if she didn't act because Texas law banned her ability to act Kate and her husband had to leave the state to get what she needed what her family got through should have never.

Happened as well but it's happening in too many others there are state laws Banning the freedom to choose criminalizing doctors forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states to get the treatment they need many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive Freedom my God what Freedom.

Else would you take away look it's a decision to overturn Ro v Wade the Supreme Court majority wrote The Following and with all due respect justices women are not without electoral electoral power excuse me electoral or political power you're about to realize just how much.

You clearly clearly those bragging about overturning Roy weight have no clue about the power of women but they found out when reproductive Freedom was on the ballot we won in 2022 and 2020 and we will again in 2024 if you if you the American people.

Send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you I'll restore roie Wade as the law of the land again folks America cannot go back I'm here to tonight to show what I believe is the way forward because I know how far we come four years ago next week before I.

Came to office the country was hit by the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis in a century remember the fear record losses remember the spike and crime and the murder R raging virus that took more than 1 million American lives of loved ones Millions left behind a mental health crisis of isolation and.

Loneliness a president my predecessor failed the most basic presidential Duty that he owes to American people the duty to care I think that's unforgivable I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in the nation's history we have it doesn't make new but news in a.

Thousand cities and towns the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told so let's tell the story here tell it here and now America's comeback is building the future of American possibilities.

Building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up not the top down investing in all America and all Americans to make every sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one no one behind the pandemic no longer controls Our Lives the vaccines that saved us from Co are now being used to beat.

Cancer turning setback into comeback that's what America does that's what America does folks my inherited economy is on the brink now our economy is literally the Envy of the world 15 million new jobs in just three years a record a record.

Unemployment at 50-year lows record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses and each one is a literal Act of Hope with a story job growth and small business growth for black and Hispanics and asian-americans 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in America and County where is it written we can't be.

The manufacturing capital of the world we are and we will more people have health insurance today more people have health insurance today than ever before the racial wealth Gap is as small as it's been in 20 years wages keep going up inflation keeps coming down inflation has dropped from 9% to 3% the.

Lowest in the world and tending lower the landing is and will be sof and now instead of importing importing foreign products and exporting American jobs we're exporting American products and creating American jobs right here in America where they belong and it takes time but the American.

People are beginning to feel it consumer studies show consumer confidence is soaring by America has been the law of the land since the 1930s past administrations including my predecessor including some Democrats as well in the past failed to buy American not anymore on my watch Federal projects that you fund like helping build.

American roads Bridges and highways will be made with American products and built by American workers creating good paying American jobs and thanks to our chips and science act the United States is investing more in research and development than ever before during the pandemic a shortage of semiconductors chips that drove up the.

Price of everything from cell phones to Automobiles and by the way we invented those chips right here in America well instead of having to import them instead of we private companies are now investing billions of dollars to build new chip factories here in America creating tens of thousands of jobs many of those jobs paying $100,000 a year and.

Don't require a college degree in fact my policies have attracted 650 billion dollars in private sector investment in clean energy Advanced manufacturing creating tens of thousands of jobs here in America and thanks and thanks to our bipartisan.

Infrastructure law 46,00 new projects have announced all across your communities and by the way I notice some of you strongly voted against it or they're cheering on that money coming in I like it I'm with you I'm with you if any of you don't want that money.

In your District just let me know modernize our roads and bridges ports and airports public transit systems removing po poisonous lead pipes so every child can drink clean water without risk of brain damage providing affordable affordable high-speed internet for every American no matter.

Where you live Urban suburban and Rural communities in red States and blue States record investments in tribal communities because of my investment in Family Farm because I invest and Family Farms led by my sector agriculture knows more about this than anybody I know we're better able to stay in the family for.

The those farms for the and their children and grandchildren won't have to leave leave home to make a Livin it's transformative the great comeback story is Bader Illinois home to an auto plant for nearly 60 years before I came to office the plant was on its way to shutting down thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods Hope was.

Fading then I was elected the office and we raised the beler repeatedly with auto companies knowing Unions would make all the difference the UAW worked like hell to keep the plan open and get these jobs back and together we succeeded instead of Auto Factory shutting down Auto factories reopening the new stateof art.

Battery factories being built to power those cars there at the same folks the folks of belor I say instead of your town being left behind your community is moving forward again because I'm sit and watching Auto JB jobs of the future go overseas 4,000 union jobs with higher wages are building the future in beler.

Right here in America here tonight is UAW president Shan Fain a great F and a great labor leader Shawn where are you stand up and and Dawn and Dawn sim a third generation worker UAW worker.

At beler Sean I was proud to be the first president of stand in the picket line and today dawn has a good job in her hometown providing stability for her family and pride and dignity as well showing once again Wall Street didn't build America they're not bad guys they didn't build it though the middle class built the country and unions built the.

Middle class I say to the American people when America gets knocked down we get back up we keep going that's America that's you the American people it's because of you America's coming back it's because of you our future is brighter it's because of you.

That tonight we can proudly say the state of our Union is strong and getting stronger tonight tonight I want to talk about the future of possibilities that we can build together a future where the days of trickle down economics are over and the wealthy and.

The biggest corporations no longer get to allow the tax breaks and by the way I understand corporations I come from a state that has more corporations invested than every one of your states in the state United States combined and I represented for 36 years I'm not an anti-corporation but I grew up in a home.

Where trickle down economics didn't put much on my Dad's kitchen table that's why I determin to turn things around so middle class does well when they do well the poor of a way up and the wealthy still do very well we all do well and there's more to do to make sure you're feeling the benefits of all we're doing Americans pay more for.

Prescription drugs than anywhere in the world it's wrong and I'm ending it for a law that I propose sign not one of you Republican buddies work voted for it we finally beat big Pharma instead of paying $400 a month or thereabouts for insulin with diabetes and it only cost 10 bucks to make they.

Only get paid 35 a month now and still make healthy profit and I want to but what to do next I want to cap the cost of insul $35 a month for every American India everyone for years people have talked about it but finally we got it done gave Medicare the.

Power to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs just like the VA is able to do for veterans that's not just saving seniors money it's saving taxpayers money we cut the federal deficit by $160 billion because.

Medicare will no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices to Big farma this year Medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs on the market to treat everything from heart disease to arthritis it's now time to go further and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 500 different drugs over the next.

Decade they're making a lot of money guys and they'll still be extremely profitable will not only save lives it will save taxpayers another $200 billion starting next year the same law caps total prescription drug cost for seniors on Medicare at2 200 $2,000 a year even for expensive Cancer drugs.

That cost 10 12 $15,000 now I want a cap prescription drug cost of $2,000 a year for everyone folks I'm going to get in trouble for saying that but any you want to get an Air Force woman and fly to Toronto Berlin Moscow I mean excuse me and well.

Even Moscow probably and bring your prescription with you and I promise you I'll get it for you for 40% the cost you're paying now same company same drug same place folks the Affordable Care Act the old Obamacare is still a very big deal over 100 million of you can no.

Longer be denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions but my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take prescription drug Away by repealing Affordable Care Act I'm not going to let that happen we stopped you 50 times before and we'll stop you.

Again in fact I'm not only protecting it I'm expanding it the we the enacted tax credits of $800 per person per year year reduce healthc care costs for millions of working families that tax credit expires next year I want to make that savings permanent to State the obvious women are.

More than half our population but research on women's health has always been underfunded that's why we're launching the first ever White House initiative on women's health research led by Jill doing an incredible job as first lady to pass my plan for12 billion to.

Transfer women's health research and benefit millions of lives all across America I know the cost of housing is so important to you inflation keeps coming down mortgage rates will come down as well and the FED acknowledges that but I'm not waiting I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two.

Years as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgages when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space just for two years and my Administration is also eliminating Title Insurance on federally backed.

Mortgages when you refinance your home you can save $1,000 or more as a consequence for millions of renters we're cracking down on big landlords who use antitrust law using anti who break antit trust laws by price fixing and driving up rents we've cut red tap so Builders can get federally financing.

Which is already helping build a record 1.7 million new house housing units Nationwide now pass now pass and build and renovate 2 million affordable homes and bring those rents down to remain the strongest economy in the world we need to have the best education.

System in the world and I like I suspect all of you want to give a child every child a good start by providing access to preschool for three and four years old you know I think I pointed out last year I think I pointed out last year that children coming from broken homes where.

There's no books and not read to not spoken to very often start school kindergarten or first grade hearing having heard a million fewer words spoken well studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50% more likely to finish High School go on to earn a two and four year degree no matter what their background.

Is I met a year and a half ago with the leaders of the business Round Table they were mad that I they were angry I said well they were discussing why I wanted to spend money on education I pointed out to them as vice president I met with over8 I think it was.

182 of those folks don't hold me the exactly number and uh I asked them what they need most the CEOs and you've had the same experience both sides now they say a better educated Workforce right so I looked at them and I say I come from Delaware the Pont used to be the eighth largest corporation in the.

World and every new Enterprise they bought they educated the workforce to that Enterprise but none of you do that anymore why are you angry with me for providing you the opportunity for the best educated Workforce in the world and they all looked at me and said I think you're right I want to expand highquality.

Tutoring and summer learning to see that every child learns to read by third grade I'm also connecting local businesses and high schools so students get hands-on experience in a path to good paying job whether or not they go to college and I want to make sure the college is more.

Affordable let's continue increasing the pel grants to working in Middle Class families and increased record investments in HBCU a minority serving institutions including Hispanic institution and I was told I couldn't universally just change the way in which we de dealt with student loans I fixed.

Two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 million Americans including nurses firefighters and others in public service by Keenan Jones the public educator from Minnesota who's here with us tonight Keenan where are you Kenan thank you he's educated hundreds of.

Students so they can go to college now he's able to help after Deb forgiveness get his own daughter to college and folks look such relief is good for the economy because folks are now able to buy a home start a business start a family while we're at it I want to give.

Public School teachers a raise by the way the first couple years we cut the deficit now let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all Americans I've been delivering Real Results in fiscally responsible ways we've already cut the federal deficit.

We've already cut the federal defic over a trillion dollars I signed the bipartisan deal to cut another trillion dollar in the next decade it's my goal to cut the federal office another three trillion by making big corporations very wealthy finally beginning to pay their fair.

Share look I'm a capitalist you want a makeer can make a million or millions of bucks that's great just pay your fair share in tax ta a fair tax code is how we invest things to make this country great healthc care education defense and so much more but.

Here's the deal the last Administration enacted a two trillion dollar tax cut overwhelmingly benefit the toping 1% the very wealthy and the biggest corporation and exploded the federal deficit they added more of the national death in any presidential term in American history check the numbers Folks at home.

Does anybody really think the tax code is fair do you really think the wealthy and big corporations need another $2 trillion tax break I sure don't I'm going to keep fighting like hell to make it fair under my plan nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay additional.

Penny in federal taxes nobody not one penny and they haven't yet in fact the child tax credit I passed during the pandemic cut taxes for millions of working families and cut child poverty in half restore that child tax credit no child should go hungry in this.

Country the way to make the tax code fair is to make big corporations the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share remember in 2020 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion and paid zero in federal income tax zero not anymore thanks to the law I wrote when we signed big companies have to pay a minimum 15% but that's still less than.

Working people paying federal taxes it's time to raise corporate minimum tax to at least 21% so every big Corporation finally begins to pay their fair.

Share I also want end tax breaks for big farmer Big Oil private jcks massive executive pay when it's only supposed to a million a million dollars it could be deducted they can pay 20 million if they want but deduct a million end it now you know there are 1,000 billionaires in America you know what the average federal taxes for those.

Billionaires no they're making great sacrifices 88.2% that's far less than the vast majority of Americans pay no billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher a sanitation worker or a nurse I propose a minimum tax for billionaires of 25% just.

25% you know what that would raise that would raise $500 billion over the next 10 years and imagine what that could do for America imagine a future with affordable child care millions of families can get they need to go to work to help grow the economy imagine a future with paid Le because no one should have to choose between working.

And taking care of a Fick family member imagine imagine the future of Home Care and elder care and people living with disabilities so they can stay in their homes and family caregivers can finally get the pay they deserve tonight let's all agree once again to stand up for.

Seniors many of my friends on the other side of I want to put Social Security on The Chopping Block if anyone here tries to cut Social Security Medicare or raise the retirement age I will stop you the working.

People the working people who built this country pay more in the Social Security than Millionaires and billionaires do it's not fair we have two ways to go Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy I will that's the proposal oh no you guys don't want another $2.

Trillion tax cut I kind of thought that's what your plan was well that's good to hear you're not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super wealth that's good to hear I'll protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share.

Look too many corporations raise prices to pad the profits charging more and more for less and less that's why we're cracking down on corporations engag in price gouging and deceptive pricing from food to healthc care to housing in fact the snack companies think you won't notice.

If they change the size of the bag and put a hell of a lot fewer same same siiz bag put fewer chips in it no no I'm not joking it's called shrink flation pass Bobby Casey's Bill and stop this I really mean it you probably all saw that commercial on Snickers bars you get you get charge the same.

Amount and you got about I don't know 10% fewer Snickers in it look I'm also getting rid of junk fees those hidden fees at the end of your bill that are there without your knowledge my Administration announced we're cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8 Banks and credit card.

Companies are allowed to charge what would cost them to in to instigate the the collection and that's more a hell of a lot like $8 and3 some dollars they don't like it credit card companies don't like it but I'm saving American families $20 billion a year with all the junk fees I'm.

Eliminating Folks at home that's why the banks are so mad it's $20 billion in profit I'm not stopping there my Administration propos rules to make cable travel utilities online ticket sellers tell you the total price upfront so there're no.

Surprises it matters it matters and so does this in November my team began serious negotiation with a bipartisan group of senators the result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we've ever seen oh you don't think.

So oh you don't like that bill huh that conservatives got together and said it was a good bill I'll be darn that's amazing that bipartisan B would hire 1,500 more security agents and officers 100 more immigration judges help tackle the backload of 2 million cases 4,300 more Asylum officers and new policies so they can resolve cases in 6 months.

Instead of 6 years now what are you against 100 more Hightech drug detection machines to significantly increase the ability to screen and stop Vehicles smuggling fentanyl into America that's killing thousands of children this bill would saved lives and BR order of the.

Border it will also give me and any new new president new emergency Authority temporarily shut down the Border when the number of migrants at the border is overwhelming the border of Patrol Union has endorsed this bill the federal Chamber of Commerce is yeah yeah you're saying L look at the facts I.

Know I know you know how to read I believe that given the opport Unity for a majority in the House and Senate would endorse the bill as well the majority right now but unfortunately politics has derailed this bill so far I'm told my predecessor called members of Congress and the Senate to demand they block the bill he feels political.

Win he viewed be a political win for me and a political loser for him it's not about him it's not about me I'd be a winner not really all Lincoln Lincoln Riley an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal that's right but how many thousands of.

People being killed by legals to her parents I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself I understand but look if we change the dynamic at the border people pay people people pay these Smugglers 8,000 bucks to get across the border because they know if they get by if they get by and let into the country it's 6 to8 years before they.

Have a hearing and it's worth the taking the chance of the $8,000 but but if it's only six month 6 weeks the idea is is highly unlikely the people will pay that money and come all that way knowing that they'll be able to be kicked out quickly folks I would respectfully say to suggest my my Republican friends ow to.

The American people get this bill done we need to act now and of my predecessor is watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill join me and telling the Congress to pass it we can do it together but that's what he apparently hears what he will not do I will not.

Demonize immigrants saying they are poison in the blood of our country I will not separate families I will not ban people because of their faith unlike my predecessor on my first day in office I introduced a comprehensive Bill to fix our immigration system take a look at it.

As all these and more secure the Border provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers and so much more but unlike my predecessor I know who we are as Americans we're the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new home to Native Americans and ancestors have been here for thousands of years home to people of.

Every PL from every place on Earth they came freely some came in Chains some came when famine struck like my ancestral family in Ireland some to flee persecution to chase dreams that are impossible Anywhere But Here in America that's America and we all come from somewhere but we're all americ.

Look folks we a simple choice we can fight about fixing the Border or we can fix it I'm ready to fix it send me the Border bill now the transformational history moment in history happened 58 59 years ago today in Selma Alabama hundreds of foot solders for.

Justice marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge named after the Grand Dragon of the Cucos Clan to claim their fundamental right to vote they were beaten they were bloody and left for dead our late friend and former colleague John Lewis was on that March we miss him.

but joining us tonight our other marches both in the gallery and on the floor including Betty May Fikes known as the voice of Selma the daughter of gospel singers and preachers she sang songs of prayer and protest on that Bloody Sunday to help shake the nation's conscience yes 5.

Months later the Voting Rights Act passed and was signing the law thank you thank you thank you thank you but 59 years later their forces taking us back in time voter suppression election subversion unlimited dark money extreme Jerry.

Manering John Lewis is a great friend to many of us here but if you truly want to honor him and all the heroes of March with him then it's time to do more than talk pass the freedom to vote act the John Lewis voting right at and stop stop denying another core value of.

America our diversity across American Life Banning books it's wrong instead of erasing history that's make history I want to protect fundamental rights pass the equality act and I M is a transgender American I have your back pass the proact for workers rights raise the federal minimum wage.

Because every worker has a right to a decent living more than a seven bucks an hour we're also making history by confronting the climate crisis not denying it I don't think any of you think there's no longer climate crisis at least I hope you don't I'm taking the most significant action ever on climate in the history of.

The world I'm cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2030 creating tens of thousands of clean energy jobs like the ibw work is building installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations conserving 30% of America's lands and.

Waters by 2030 and taking action on environmental justice fence line communities smothered by the legacy of pollution and pattern after the Peace Corp and America Corp I launched the climate Corp to put 20,000 young people to work in the Forefront of our Clean Energy Future I'll triple that number in.

A decade to State the obvious all Americans deserve the freedom to be safe and America is safer today than when I took office year before I took office murder rates went up 30% 30% they went.

Up the biggest increase in history it was then through no through my American rescue plan which every American voted against I mad at we made the largest investment in public safety ever last year the murder rates saw the shest decrease in history violent crime fell to one of its lowest levels in more than.

50 years but we have more to do we have to help cities invest in more Community police officers more mental health workers more Community violence in Ben give communities the tool to crack down on gun crime retail crime and car jacking keep building trust as they been doing by taking executive action on police.

Reform and calling for it to be the law of the land directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession because no one should be jailed for simply using or having on their record take on crimes of domestic.

Violence I'm ramping up theal Federal enforcement of the violence against women act that I proudly wrote when I was a Senator so we can finally finally end the scourge against women in America there other kinds of violence I want to stop with us tonight is Jasmine whose nine-year-old sister Jackie was murdered.

With 21 classmates and teachers in elementary school in Uvaldi Texas very soon after that happened Jill and I went to Uvaldi for a couple days we spent hours and hours with each of the families we heard their message so everyone in this room in this chamber could hear the same message the constant refrain and I always there for hours.

Meeting with every family they said do something do something well I did do something by establishing the first ever office of gun violence prevention in the White House that the vice president's leading in charge thank you for doing it.

Meanwhile Meanwhile my predecessor told the NRA he's proud he did nothing on guns when he was president after another shooting in Iowa recently he said when asked what to do about he said just get over it there is his quote just get over it I say stop it stop it stop it stop.

it I'm proud we beat the NRA when I signed most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years because of this Congress we now must beat the NRA again I'm demanding a ban on a assault weapons and high capacity magazine pass Universal background checks none of this none of this I.

Taught the Second Amendment for 12 years none of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners you know as we manage challenges at home we're also managing crisis abroad including in the Middle East I know the last 5 months have been gut-wrenching for so many people for the Israeli people for the Palestinian.

People and so many here in America this Crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by a terrorist group called Hamas as you all know 1,200 innocent people women and girls men and boys slaughtered after enduring sexual violence the deadliest day of the for the Jewish people since the Holocaust and 250 hostage is.

Taken here in this chamber tonight our families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring every one of your loved ones home we.

Also we also work around the clock to bring home Evan and Paul Americans being unjustly detained by the Russians and others around the world Israel has the right to go after Hamas Hamas ended this conflict by releasing hostages laying down arms could end it by by releasing the hostages laying down arms and surrending those responsible for October.

7th but Israel has a excuse me Israel has a added burden because theas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards under hospitals daycare centers and all the like Israel also has a fundamental responsibility though to protect innocent civilians in.

Gaza this war has taken a greater toll in innocent Ians in all previous Wars in Gaza combined more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed most of whom are not Hamas thousands and thousands of Innocents women and children girls and boys also orphaned nearly 2 million more.

Palestinians under bombardment or displacement homes destroyed neighborhoods and Rubble cities in ruin families without food water medicine it's heartbreaking I've been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for 6 weeks to get all the prisoners released all the hostage.

Released to get the hostages home and ease the Intolerable and humanitarian crisis and build toward an enduring a more something more enduring the United States have been leading international eff to get more humanitarian assistance to Gaza tonight I'm directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary peer in the.

Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food water medicine and temporary shelters no us boots will be on the ground a temporary Pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every.

day and Israel must do its part Israel must allow more Aiden the gods who ensure humanitarian workers aren't caught in the crossfire and they're announcing they're going to they're going to call have a cross into Northern Gaza for the leadership of.

Israelites say this humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority as we look to the Future the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution over time.

And I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel my entire career no one has a stronger record with Israel than I do I challenge any of you here I'm the only American president of Vis Israel in Wartime but there is no other path that guarantees Israel security and democracy there's no other path that guarantees.

Pales India can live in peace with PO with peace and dignity there's no other path that guarantees peace between Israel and all of its neighbors including Saudi Arabia with whom I'm talking creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran that's why I build a coalition of more than a dozen countries.

To defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea I've ordered strikes to degrade the houthi capability and defend US forces in the region as commander-in Chief I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military.

personnel for years I've heard many of my Republican and Democratic friends say that China is on the rise and America is falling behind they've got it backwards I've been saying it for over.

Four years even when I wasn't president America is rising we have the best economy in the world and since I've come to office R GTP is up our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest point in over a decade and we're standing up against China's unfair economic practices we're standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan.

Straits I've revitalized our partnership Alliance in the Pacific India Australia Japan South Korea Pacific Islands I've made sure that the most advanced American Technologies can't be used in China not allowing to trade them there frankly for all this tough talk on China it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of.

That I want competition with China not conflict and we're in a stronger position to win the conflict of the 21st century against China than anyone else for that matter than any time time as well here at home I've signed over 400 bipartisan bills there's more to pass my Unity agenda strength and penalties on fentanyl trafficking you don't want to.

Do that huh pass bipartisan privacy leg say to protect our children online harness harness the promise of AI to protect us from Peril ban AI voice impersonations and more and keep our truly sacred obligation to train and equip those we.

Send into Harm's Way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don't that's why the song support and help of Dennis the VA I signed the pack Act one of the most significant laws ever helping millions of veterans expose.

The toxin who now are battling more than 100 different cancers many of them don't come home but we owe them and their families support we owe it to ourselves to keep supporting our new health research agency called rph and remind.

Us remind us that we can do big things like and cancer as we know it and we will let me close with this hey I know you don't want to hear any more Lindsay but I got to say a few more things.

I know it may not look like it but I've been around a while when you get to be my age certain things become clearer than ever I know the American story again and again I've seen the contest between competing forces and the battle for the soul of our nation between those who want to pull America back to the past.

Those who want to move America into the future my lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy a future based on core values that defined America honesty decency dignity equality to respect everyone to give everyone a fair chop to give hate no Safe Harbor now other people of my age see it.

Differently the American story of resentment revenge and retribution that's not me I was born in mid World War II when America stood for the freedom of the the world I grew up in scran Pennsylvania in Claymont Delaware among workingclass people who built this country I watched in horror as two of my heroes like many of you did Dr King and.

Bobby CN were assassinated and their legacy inspired me to pursue a care a career in service I left the law firm became a public defender because my city of Wilmington was the only city in America occupied by the National Guard after Dr King was assassinated because of the riots.

And I became a county councilman almost by accident I got elected to the United States Senate when I had no intention of running at age 29 then vice president our first black president now president to the first women vice president in my.

Career I've been told I was too young by the way they didn't let me on the Senate elevators for vote sometimes not a joke and I've been told I'm too old whether young or old I've always been known I've always known what endures I've known our Northstar the very idea of America is.

We're all created equal and deserves to be treated equally throughout our lives we've never fully lived up to that idea but we've never walked away from it either and I won't walk away from it now I'm optimistic I really am I'm optimistic Nancy my fellow Americans.

The issue facing our nation isn't how old we are it's how old are our ideas hate anger Revenge retribution are the oldest of ideas but you can't lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back you lead America the land of possibilities you need a vision for the future and what can and should be.

Done tonight you've heard mine I see a few future we defending democracy you don't diminish it I see a future where restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms not take them away I see a future where the middle class has finally has a fair shot and the wealthy have to pay their fair share in.

Taxes I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence above all I see a future for all Americans I see a country for all Americans and I will always be president for all Americans because I believe in America I believe in you the American.

People you're the reason we've never been more optimistic about our future than I am now so let's build the future together let's remember who we are we are the United States of America and there is nothing nothing beyond our capacity when we act together God bless you all and may God.

Protect our truths thank you thank you thank you President Biden addressing a joint session of Congress in the State of the Union the final one of this term a vision for the future and also an argument for four more years a chant that was heard by democrats throughout the speech which lasted a little over an.

Hour hour and 9 minutes it was energetic and optimistic and the president clearly trying to draw a contrast with the individual he called his predecessor on many many occasions Never by name but everyone knows who he meant his opponent in this next election Donald Trump not a lot of Preamble in his speech he went right at it um first.

Talking about freedom and democracy under attack talking about January 6 the lies he says that pose a threat to US democracy I'm speaking Truth uh to January 6 lies and he says you can't love your country only when you lose and then went on into roie Wade only when you win exactly and it seem like he wanted to start this with the the theme.

Of democracy that democracy itself is under attack overseas and here at home he had a um muscular set of comments for Vladimir Putin talking tough against the Russian leader what do we uh listen to a little bit of this conversation I said Mr chairman some place You' help and some place You' hurt look he said I'll come a campaign for.

You again youever help come on J in any event talking about democracy attacked abroad but also here at home mentioning January 6 very high up in the speech and and there was some heckling and some give and take between the Republicans and the president he seemed to relish those moments seem to.

Be expecting those moments I think you could you could probably fairly say and parried a little bit uh with Republicans in the crowd and as for the elephant in the room and that is not a partisan statement his age he took it on H and there has been so much talk about his age whether it 1 years old he is up to the job this is something that voters.

Will be deciding that voters have expressed concern about he took on the issue saying in essence I may be old but I have experience and I have wisdom and he contrasted with he said other people his same age referring not so subtly to Donald Trump when he laid out a vision he says of America that is optimistic and he tried to contrast with former.

President Trump saying he is laying out a vision of America that is dark and destitute he's trying to turn what is his biggest political liability right now into an asset he's trying to make the case that with time comes wisdom and that he's the best person to lead this country into the future we know that about three4 of Americans have concerns.

About the president's age and his Fitness for office including about half of his own party and what was interesting to watch the way Democrats were reacting to the president's speech I will give you a sense of some texts I'm getting from from in the room where words like combative fiery robust from Democrats a democratic lawmaker in there.

Who says that's exactly what he this person wanted to see from the president tonight as yes this is a formal speech with the trappings of the presidency but it's also coming as we've talked about as the kickoff to the general election Christen Walker let's let's talk a little bit about one of the big topics tonight immigration it's it's something.

That has weighed this candidacy down he comes out tonight and turns it on its ear and says it's Republicans is that is that going to fly with Americans who have for weeks and months watch the crowds coming across the border have watched their cities transform as we see more migrants well it might he's effectively taking a page out of the.

Playbook of a Harry Truman who ran against the do nothing congress and that's what we saw this President do tonight effectively saying we had a bipartisan bill on the table it was scrapped at the direction of Donald Trump and that is energizing for the Democratic base we'll have to see if it helps him win over some of those.

Independents he did hold up that pin he said her name of course that's what Republicans margorie Taylor green were urging him to do about Lake and Riley uh of course that nursing student who was killed by someone who did come into the country illegally and of course there's some question about whether he got her name right but it was a defiant moment.

Savannah and Lester I'm hearing from Democrats one person telling me this was a total 10 so that's how they're responding so immigration is a big issue and it's risen to the top of many voters concern list the economy The Perennial issue that voters care about Christine Roman our senior business correspondent with us what did you make what did you.

Hear in this speech from the president he had a a new line I hadn't heard before turning setback into comeback as he was describing the American economy and I think more Americans are starting to maybe agree with him on that and that might be a reason why other issues are now rising to the top of the polls and the economy is starting to slip a little.

Bit in terms of top of mind um he's also appealing to the American electorate that look I'm there with you at your kitchen table I'm trying to cut costs I don't think the tax system is fair I don't think billionaires should have a lower tax rate than you do and he's really just trying to appeal to them on that front he never mentioned the stock.

Market which is interesting to me um because his predecessor was Notorious for taking credit for the stock market this President knows he cannot do that that would be tonee he he stayed away from that but he also t about the you talk about kitchen table things shrinkflation the over fication that's my term uh in this case of of the.

Country he talked about you know capping uh late fees uh the things that really directly affect and Drug costs and Insulin I mean he lowered insulin you know they lowered insulin costs on his watch and he wants to do that for all Americans he wants to expand how Medicare can negotiate with drug companies um and that is something that.

Really really appeals to people I mean we have the highest healthare costs in the world here in the United States and the United States is a big customer and he wants to leverage that he he mentioned several times how he's a capitalist and he thinks people should be able to get rich if they want to get rich um but he really thinks that you.

Can uh turn the tables on debt and deficits in this country by tapping into the people and the companies uh to pay more well the campaign clearly believes that anytime you go after billionaires paying 8% in taxes when others are paying a factor a multitude of that that that's a winning argument for them let's talk about how was in the room Ryan nobl.

Our Capitol Hill correspondent is there as the president makes the slow walk out of the chamber seeming to shake every hand that wants to shake his and greeting old colleagues in the Senate Ryan we know that speaker Johnson had instructed his conference not to uh not to lose their decorum I think decorum was the word he.

Used how was it in the room well I don't know how well it translated on television Savannah but inside this room partisanship was on full display you know normally in a state of the union there's at least a couple of Beats that a president can hit that would lead to both sides of the chamber standing in Applause other than.

When the president entered the room and one other moment where he was talking about the late John Lewis and the survivors that were here in the room uh from the Selma Bloody Sunday attack Republicans were sitting on their hands for this entire speech even during sections of the speech where you'd think that they may have rallied to support.

Some of the things that the president was talking about for instance support for Ukraine there's a lot of Republicans that believe that support should continue for Ukraine the issue of IVF where many of these Republican members have come out and strongly said that they were in support of IVF despite what they saw uh play out in Alabama even in.

Those moments you saw many of these Republican members kind of look at each other clap maybe half-heartedly or just not clap at all they just seem to be uncomfortable with any levels of support for for anything that President Biden was saying but in terms of the heckling there was certainly a degree of it at one point one member in the back yelled.

You lied or lies I should say in relation to something that uh President Biden was talking about his predecessor uh former president Trump and then of course Marjorie Taylor green at multiple instances throughout the speech attempted to make a spectacle of herself it was that moment and was course Margery Taylor green confronting the.

President where he mentioned the name of lak and Riley and held up the pin with her name on it but you you certainly saw a level of preparation from Joe Biden in this room he seemed ready to take on any challenge that could come from a protester or a Heckler in the audience at one point there was another Heckler that was removed from the gallery the.

President didn't even acknowledge that that protest was taking place so he was clearly prepared for any sort of disruption in the Cadence of his speech and never seemed uh to throw him off at any stage and he seemed to enjoy it he seemed to enjoy engaging with republ an at different points in the speech and trying to get across the point that he.

Was attempting to make so I don't think there's any doubt that a lot of us felt a level of tension before the speech started because of these concerns over how the speech could be interrupted uh those tension seemed to kind of fade away as the speech continued to go on and the president demonstrated that he'd be able to handle whatever was thrown.

His way all right Ryan thanks very much let's bring in former Obama campaign manager David Pluff we o have editor and CEO of the dispatch Steven Hayes uh David let me first start with you there was obviously a lot of nail biting among Democrats going into this evening not knowing what to expect and that that leads me to wonder where the bar was and.

In your view how did the president do against that bar well Lester I think for Democrats r large they're going to be pretty enthused by this speech uh I think it was one of the strongest performances Joe Biden had and I think performance probably mattered more than the substance there was energy there there was Vigor he took the fight to the.

Republicans and to Trump where that was appropriate so I don't expect wholesale changes amongst the whole electorate but I think the base you know which has been concerned about these polls concerns about age my guess is he'll go a long way not all the way but a long way to settling that down and of course it was probably one of the biggest direct.

Audiences he'll have uh until the first debate assuming we have one so it was important from that stamp Point as well we've got Steven Hayes here as well he's an uh NBC News contributor a republican Stephen what do you make of this speech and do you think it reached across the aisle if there are swing voters that tiny ever tinier sliver of Americans who.

Are persuadable when we have both sides of the of the partisan divide so polarized and so calcified in their positions did you think that President Biden reached across to try to bring more people into his Coalition or was this a speech for the base yeah I agree with David I think this was very much a speech to the base the president made a.

Couple of references to his Unity agenda but there really wasn't much in his Unity agenda that would bring Republicans along I thought he had a difficult time trying to make the case that the country is strong he said the state of our Union is strong and getting stronger he ended with sort of a flourish of optimism saying he's.

Optimistic about the future but it seems to contrast with the central message of his campaign which is that democracy is at stake the former president he mentioned his predecessor 13 times is an existential threat to the continued existence of the United States so there's some tension between what he said in this speech tonight that I think.

Sought to please the base and what he's saying more broadly in his campaign all right let's go to Chief foreign correspondent Richard Engle right now he is an Aman Jordan uh watching this uh Richard your thoughts about the president's comments regarding Israel and his his conversations with the Israeli leadership.

So he made an announcement today saying that soon the US military will be leading an effort to open this temporary pier in Gaza so that large shipments of Aid could be uh brought to the people of Gaza that is expected to be a process that is going to take several weeks to construct and could take several months to get up and running properly but uh it.

Will bring much more relief to the 2.3 million people of Gaza uh right now very little Aid is getting in because Israel has sealed Gaza off as it continues to conduct its military campaign to drive Hamas from power and free hostages and a lot some of the aid that is going in now is being air dropped and I was on one of those air drops earlier today that's why.

I'm in Jordan the air drops are being uh orchestrated from the hashimite kingdom of Jordan and I saw how useful those air drops are on one level because at least they're able to get something to Gaza but it is not nearly enough a a a sea lift would be far more uh effective but uh people here in the region are wondering is there going to be a.

Long-term solution as well can uh the US push its Ally Israel to come to a ceasefire all right Richard angle thank you we are awaiting the president's exit from the chamber where he's just delivered his State of the Union Address and a few moments after that we will hear from the Republicans the official response given by Senator Katie Britt of.

Alabama that is forthcoming I want to turn to our senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett who's watching along with us and what an extraordinary moment tonight between the president and the members of the Supreme Court who were there in the audience Laura this was an ad lied moment when he was talking about the decision their decision to overturn.

Roie Wade and he said in that decision you question whether you you st state that women have political power and he said to the justices you're about to find out how much that was a moment a a striking one Savannah is that a direct confrontation um with the Supreme Court sitting right there obviously um it's a.

Court that has a solid conservative majority thanks to former president Donald Trump his predecessor and Joe Biden went right at them on probably the most controversial decision over the last generation which of course is the overturning of Row versus Wade in dobs and he's quoting their own language from the Dos decision back to them but then.

As you mentioned ad liing um a a much more pointed and frankly uh aggressive comment about the political backlash that we have seen from dos and it's a theme I think that we saw him do so early in the speech it was only a couple minutes in that the whole issue of abortion and reproductive freedom and IVF which obviously has sort of.

Dominated the news cycle over the last month to do it so early in the speech was obviously a choice and a signaling of priorities and he wants to make the connection from the fall of row to the jeopardizing of IVF that we've seen in Alabama so pointedly and that the nation has had such a visceral reaction to Savannah all right Laura thank you all.

Right we want to bring in our chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander Peter would continue to watch the president who continues to shake hands and talking obviously enjoys uh the give and take here what are you hearing from within the White House circle in terms of their review of how he did tonight you know Lester I could.

Hear it for myself standing outside the West Wing there was cheering and Applause as the president was speaking tonight the White House feels very good about where they are right now and where they are going in the weeks ahead with the president set to have an aggressive schedule of campaigning as it's described to me beginning tomorrow with.

Travel to Pennsylvania we'll head out of town again this weekend to Georgia and he's going to be on the road a lot over the course of the next several weeks Lester one moment that I heard while you were speaking to the audience uh with all of our colleagues just moments ago from the Democrat Jerry Nadler to the president as Nadler greeted President.

Biden he said no one's going to call you cognitively impaired now the president recognizing the urgency of this moment the opportunity to try to deliver a performance that would satisfy the concerns of some Americans who have had questions about his mental and physical health the White House and certainly a lot of democratic allies I'm hearing.

From right now believe the president uh more than met that bar all right Peter Alexander that was one of the questions I posed a moment ago what is the bar because there were there was this nervousness among uh among Democrats as to how he would do um spin the elephant in the room frankly um but he's obviously feels he did well as he uh uh.

Takes his time you can almost hear the collective exale and I I dare say almost Glee from the Democrats that were in the building to see that punch and that feistiness in this speech in just a moment moment we'll be back and we will have the Republican response to President Biden's State of the Union Address delivered by the 42-year-old.

Senator from Alabama Katie Brit that's coming up after these messages oh.

Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC well they haven't quite turned out the lights have started mopping the floor but president may be the last one in the room here as he continues to.

Press the flesh welcome back to our coverage of the president State of the Union Address yes and we await any moment now Alabama Senator Katie Britt who will deliver the Republican response Lester back in the 80s then Senator Biden gave the Democratic response when he was in his 40s now let's see Senator Brit good evening America my name is.

Katie Britt and I have the honor of serving the people of the Great state of Alabama and the United States Senate however that's not the job that matters most I am a proud wife and mom of two schoolage kids my daughter Bennett and my son Ridgeway are why I ran for the Senate I'm worried about their future and the future of children in every.

Corner of our nation and that's why I invited you into our home tonight like so many fames Across America my husband Wesley and I just watched President Biden's State of the Union Address from our living room and uh what we saw was the performance of a permanent politician who has actually been in office for longer than I've been.

Alive one thing was quite clear though President Biden just doesn't get it he's out of touch under his administration families are worse off our communities are less safe and our country is less secure I just wish he understood what real families are facing around kitchen tables just like this one you know this.

Is where our family has tough conversations it's where we make hard decisions it's where we share The Good the Bad and the Ugly of our days it's where we laugh together and it's where we hold each other's hands and pray for God's guidance and many nights to be honest it's where Wesley and I.

Worry I know we're not alone and so tonight the American family needs to have a tough conversation because the truth is we're all worried about the future of our nation the country we know and love seems to be slipping away and it feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities and less freedoms than we.

Did I worry my own children may not even get a shot at Living their American Dreams my American Dream allowed me the daughter of two small business owners from rural Enterprise Alabama to be elected to the United States Senate at the age of 40 growing up sweeping the floor at my dad's hardware store and cleaning the bathroom at my mom's dance.

Studio I never could have imagined what my story would entail to think about what the American dream can do across just one generation in just one lifetime it's truly breathtaking but right now the American dream has turned into a nightmare for so many families the true unvarnished state of.

Our Union begins and ends with this our families are hurting our country can do better and you don't have to look any further than the crisis at our Southern border to see it President Biden inherited the most secure border of all time but minutes after taking office he suspended all.

Deportations he halted construction of the Border and he announced a plan to give amnesty to Millions we know that President Biden didn't just create this border crisis he invited it with 94 executive actions in his first 100 days when I took office I took a.

Different approach I traveled to the Del Rio sector of Texas that's where I spoke to a woman who shared her story with me she had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at the age of 12 she told me not just that she was raped every day but how many times a day she was raped the cartels put her on a mattress.

In a shoe box of a room and they sent men through that door over over and over again for hours and hours on end we wouldn't be okay with this happening in a third world country this is the United States of America and it is pastime in my opinion that we start acting like it President Biden's border policies are.

A disgrace this crisis is Despicable and the truth is it is almost entirely preventable from fentanyl poisonings to horrific murders there are empty chairs tonight at kitchen tables just like this one because of President Biden's senseless.

Border policies just think about Lake and Riley in my neighboring state of Georgia this beautiful 22-year-old nursing student went out on a jog one morning but she never got the opportunity to return home she was brutally murdered by one of the millions of illegal border crossers President Biden.

Chose to release into our homeland y'all as as a mom I can't quit thinking about this I mean this could have been my daughter this could have been yours and tonight President Biden finally said her name but he refused to take responsibility for his own actions Mr.

President enough is enough innocent Americans are d Ding and you only have yourself to blame fulfill your oath of office reverse your policies end this crisis and stop the suffering sadly we know that President Biden's failures don't stop there his Reckless spending dug our economy into a hole and.

Sent the cost of living through the roof we have the worst inflation in 40 years and the highest credit card debt in our nation's history let that sink in hardworking families are struggling to make ends meet today and with soaring mortgage rates and Sky High child care cost they're also struggling to how a plan for.

Tomorrow the American people are scraping by while President Biden proudly proclaims that Biden nomics is working goodness y'all bless his heart we know better I'll never forget stopping at a gas station in shilton County one evening the gentleman working the counter told me that after retiring he.

Had to pick up a job in his 70s so that he didn't have to choose between going hungry or going without his medication he said I I did everything right I did everything I was told to do I worked hard I saved I was responsible he's not alone I hear similar concerns from fellow parents whether I am walking with.

My friends or whether I'm at my kids' games but let's be honest it's been a minute since Joe Biden pumped gas uh ran a carpol or even pushed a g grocery cart meanwhile the rest of us see our dollar and we know it doesn't go as far we see it every day and despite what he tells you our.

Communities are not safer for years the left has coddled criminals and defunded the police all while letting repeat offenders walk free the result is tragic but foreseeable from our small towns to America's most iconic city streets life is getting more and more dangerous and unfortunately President.

Biden's weakness isn't just hurting families here at home he is making us a punchline on the world's stage look where I'm from your word is your bond but for 3 years the president has demonstrated that America's word doesn't mean what it used to from abandoning our allies in his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

To desperately pushing another dangerous deal with Iran President Biden had has failed we've become a nation in Retreat and the enemies of Freedom they see an opportunity Putin's brutal aggression in Europe has put our allies on the brink Iran's terrorist proxies have.

Slaughtered Israeli Jews and American citizens they've targeted commercial shipping and and they've attacked our troops nearly 200 times since October killing three US soldiers and two Navy Seals meanwhile the Chinese Communist party is undercutting America's workers China is buying up our Farmland spying on our military.

Installations and spreading propaganda through the likes of Tik Tock you see the CCP knows that if it conquers the minds of our next Generation it conquers America and what does President Biden do well he bans Tik Tock for government employees but creates an account for his.

Own campaign yall you can't make this stuff up look we all recall when presidents faced National Security threats with strength and resolve that seems like ancient history right now our commander and chief is not in.

Command the Free World deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader America deserves leaders who recogn ize that secure borders stable prices Safe Streets and a strong defense are actually the cornerstones of a great nation just ask yourself are you better off now than you were 3 years ago there's no doubt we're at a.

Crossroads and it doesn't have to to be this way we all feel it but here's the good news we the people are still in the driver's seat we get to decide whether our future will grow brighter or whether we'll settle for an America in Decline well I know which Choice our.

Children deserve and I know the choice the Republican party is fighting for we are the party of hardworking parents and families and we want to give you and your children the opportunities to thrive and we want families to grow it's why we strongly support continued Nationwide access to invitro fertilization we want to help loving.

Moms and dads bring precious life into this world Wesley and I believe there is no greater blessing in life than our children and that's why tonight I want to make a direct appeal to the parents out there and in particular to my fellow moms many of whom I know will be up tossing and turning at 2: a.m. wondering.

How you're going to be in three places at once and then somehow still get dinner on the table table first of all we see you we hear you and we stand with you I know you're frustrated I know you're probably disgusted by most of what you see going on in Washington and I'll be really.

Honest with you you're not wrong for feeling that way look I get it the task in front of us isn't an easy one but I can promise you one thing it is worth it so I am asking you for the sake of your kids and your grandkids get into the arena every generation has been called to do hard things American greatness.

Rests in the fact that we always answer that call it's Who We Are never forget we are steeped in the blood of patriots who overthrew the most powerful Empire in the world we walk in the footsteps of pioneers who tamed the.

Wild we now carry forward the same flame of Freedom as the liberators of an oppressed Europe we continue to draw Courage from those who bent the moral Arc of the universe and when we gaze upon the heavens never forget that our DNA contains the same Ingenuity that put man on the.

Moon America has been tested before and every single time we've emerged unbowed and unbroken our history has been written with the grit of men and women who got knocked down but we know their stories because they did not stay down we are here because they stood back.

Up so now it's our turn our moment to stand up and prove ourselves worthy of protecting the American dream together we can reawaken the heroic Spirit of a great nation because America we don't just have a revu with Destiny we take Destiny's hand and we lead.

It our future starts around kitchen tables just like this with moms and dads just like you and you are why I believe with every every fiber of my being that despite the current state of our Union our best days are still ahead may God bless you and may God.

Continue to bless these United States of America that was Alabama Senator Katie Britt delivering the Republican response to President Biden's State of the Union Address while he was still in the chamber Senator Brit criticized him saying that she and many others are worried about the future of America she especially blasted his handling of the.

Border and painted this moment as a Crossroads for America I'm talking about the split screen there's a reason of course that she's considered one of the rising stars in the Senate and in Alabama politics Alabama obviously at the center of this IVF controversy after that Alabama Supreme Court ruling uh that threw into question whether or not.

People could have IVF and shut down clinics in that state something that the state legislature is trying to rectify I want to turn to hie Jackson when you talk about the split screen she's 42 years old literally almost half of the president's age she's sitting in a kitchen saying I'm a mom talking about kitchen table issues this is what the.

Republicans are hoping to get across tonight the big push relatability from her and Ma trying to match President Biden's optimism there you heard for in most part an optimistic tone she did of course turn on immigration and cast it as dark moment for America um which is something that Republicans have been going after the president for for months.

Now you heard the president in his speech try to flip the script pointing to what Congress could do in order to make the Border more secure and has not so far this is going to continue to be a theme into November and it's really important I think to also talk about part of why she was chosen because she represents the state of Alabama Savannah.

And that Court ruling that you just mentioned immediate backlash to that IVF enjoys broad support from across the political Spectrum it is not a republican issue it is not a Democrat issue and you heard her mention the need to push for continued access to IVF notable that when President Biden mentioned it at the capital tonight in.

His State of the Union speech it's the first time that the words IVF have ever been said in a state of the union it's a real sign of the times and it's a sign of the issues uh that Democrats are continue to push forward you really get a sense tonight that we've seen the vision of two Americas really here talking about the same thing with.

Striking different Visions uh of of what this country looks like yeah and that's the next eight months of Our Lives because this is as we've been talking about the beginning of the general election here with Donald Trump as a presumptive republican nominee President Biden looking to win back the White House here and two very different takes.

On what the next four years could look like all right hie Jackson thank you so much to our entire team watching the State of the Union tonight as mentioned uh we will continue to have coverage on NBC news now our colleague Kristen Welker is ready to pick up the coverage we will have much more tomorrow morning on today we're going to get up nice and.

Early with you you know I'm always up and of maybe not yesly news as well all right I'm Lester H for Savannah Guthrie and all of us here at NBC News in Washington good night thank you for watching live from Washington this is NBC News Now coverage of the State of the Union here's Kristen.

Welker welcome to NBC News Now special coverage of the 2024 State of the Union Address I am Kristen Welker in Washington where President Biden just wrapped up his remarks before a joint session of Congress the stakes incredibly High heading in tonight as the president faces growing scrutiny about his age public frustrations with.

The economy a crisis at the southern border and divisions inside his own party over the war between Israel and Hamas all of it coming as the president battle's low approval rate ratings and gears up for another presidential race against former president Donald Trump who is now the Republican party's presumptive nominee in his address.

Tonight the president didn't shy away from going right at Mr Trump more than a dozen times in his remarks hitting him on everything from the January 6th breach of the capital to abortion and the Border my predecessor a former Republican president tells Putin quote do whatever the hell you want.

My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6th I will not do that my predecessor came to office determined to see roie Wade overturned he's the reason was overturned and he brags about it my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take prescription drug Away by repealing Affordable Care.

Act I'm not going to let that happen my predecessor called members of Congress and the Senate to demand they block the bill he feels political win he viewed as be a political win for me and a political loser for him and if my predecessor is watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill join me.

Telling the Congress to pass it also notable how President Biden began his remarks echoing the themes of his 2020 campaign that democracy itself is under threat my purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either not since President Lincoln and.

The Civil War have freedom and democracy been underall at home as they are today what makes our moment rare is a freedom of democracy are under attack at both at home and overseas the President also engaging with Republicans in the audience on the issue of the Southern border calling on them to pass the bipartisan border bill.

That died in the Senate last month while placing the blame squarely on former president Trump in November my team began serious negotiation with a bipartisan group of senators the result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we've ever seen oh you don't think.

So oh you don't like that bill huh that conservatives got together and said it was a good bill I'll be darn that's amazing and on the war in the Middle East the president announced an emergency mission to establish a port to get more humanitarian Aid to Palestinians suffering in Gaza while.

Criticizing the Israeli government Israel must allow more Aid in God to ensure humanitarian workers aren't caught in the crossfire they're announcing they're going to they're going to C have a Crossing in Northern Gaza so the leadership if it's Israel I say this humanitarian.

Assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority following his remarks tonight Republican tonight's Republican response was delivered by freshman Alabama Senator Katie Britt one of the youngest serving Senators she responded to.

President Biden full of emotion attacking him on everything from the border to the economy and foreign policy ultimately criticizing his Fitness for office we saw was the performance of a permanent politician who has actually been in office for longer than I've been alive right now our commanderin-chief is not in.

Command the Free World deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders stable prices Safe Streets and a strong defense are actually the cornerstones of a great nation joining me now from Capitol Hill is NBC's Ryan Nobles Ryan was inside the chamber during the president's State of.

The Union Address Ryan take us inside what stood out to you tonight Kristen the thing I was most struck by was just how much partisanship was on display inside of that chamber it's not out of the ordinary for Republicans to not cheer for a Democratic president and for Democrats to cheer loudly for a Democratic.

President but usually during a speech like this you see opportunities for both sides to come together and stand and applaud with a common goal and those moments were just so few and far between in this speech uh you can partly blame that on the president for maybe not showing up enough reasons for Republicans to clap but you could also.

Blame it on Republicans who seem to go out of their way to sit on their hands and just find nothing uh that they could find they could connect with in this Biden speech in fact by my count the only time that you saw Republicans stand and applaud was the moment the president came into the room and then during that period of time where President Biden was.

Talking about the late John Lewis and then he honored the the survivors of the Selma Bloody Sunday attack uh they did stand in applaud at that point but there were numerous other opportunities where you'd expect Republicans to at least show some level of support with with with what President Biden was talking about for instance this issue of IVF.

Which so many of these Republican members of Congress have rushed to defend and say they support and have presented legislation to that end when President Biden talked about his support for IVF you saw many of these members kind of look at each other not know whether or not they should clap and most of them chose not to and then of course.

There is the situation with Ukraine obviously the supplemental Aid package is something that there has been a lot of controversy about uh there is a relatively small faction of House Republicans that are kind of holding this legislation from making its way to the floor but it's our belief that most Republicans in fact the majority of.

Republicans in both in the house and the Senate do believe that the United States needs needs to continue to support Ukraine and also believe that there's a huge concern that Russia could overtake Ukraine but yet you saw very few Republicans clapping in support of President Biden's commitment to defend Ukraine long term so you know uh Kristen.

I don't have to tell you this does seem to be the era that we are living in this hyper partisanship it's only on even more of a display because there is such a thin margin between Republicans and Democrats in both the house and the Senate but if we were looking for moments of unity in this speech here tonight at least the way it played out.

Uh it was very difficult to find them Chris you're absolutely right and President Biden himself for his part right off the bat starting with some of his biggest lines to fire up the base talking about uh Ukraine January 6 uh as well as Reproductive Rights right from the start Ryan nobl thank you so much for your great reporting all night long.

Really appreciate it let's go now to the White House and check in with NBC News White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez so Gabe how is the White House responding tonight I've been getting texts from Democrats who are relieved they are abent quite frankly one person telling me they thought this was a perfect 10 what are you hearing uh yeah.

Kristen and hearing many of the same things one source close to the campaign telling me that they thought it was a feisty speech and they thought that the president more than cleared the bar now Kristen as you were just saying President Biden you know really taking on Republicans more directly on some issues certainly over Reproductive.

Rights over uh foreign policy and also uh talking about taxes as well but with that Clash on on immigration the president heckled by some Republican members including of course Marjorie Taylor green coming back and and saying uh the name of lak and Riley that young woman in Georgia who was murdered uh allegedly by an undocumented worker the.

President saying her name although mispronouncing her first name but still uh Republicans saying or excuse me Democrats saying that the president really was taking on Republicans on this issue that as you know Kristen over the last several years Democrats have been reluctant to really take on immigration they are now trying to flip the script.

And the President coming back really saying that it is because of House Republicans that this border security fun bill was not passed also in foreign policy Kristen and it came as there were protesters here right outside of the White House and also right outside the capital uh who were protesting the president's uh handling of the Israel.

Hamas War the president announcing that temporary Port that is to be constructed uh in Gaza an emergency Mission led by the US military still a lot of questions though about how will all play out in the coming weeks uh but the president putting that in the speech and trying to tell those who criticize his approach to the Israel Hamas war that he's doing the.

Best he can to get humanitarian Aid in now Kristen the president now will embark on a a travel Blitz over the next uh coming weeks in Pennsylvania tomorrow Georgia on Saturday several other cabinet members trying to sell his agenda and the White House really looking at this and saying that 2 days after super Tuesday the State of the.

Union Address was certainly a great way to sell that agenda Kristen yeah the starting gun to 20124 went off tonight Gabe Gutierrez thank you so much for your great reporting we have much more special coverage of the 2024 State of the Union Address still ahead stay with us you America is coming back it's because of you our future is brigher.

It's because of you at tonight we can proudly say the state of our Union is strong and G getting stronger.

Oh oh when you get to be my age certain things become clearer than ever I know the American story again and again I've seen the contest between competing forces and the battle for the soul of our nation my fellow.

Americans the issue facing our nation isn't how old we are it's how old are our ideas hate anger Revenge retribution are the oldest of ideas but you can lead America with ancient ideas only take us back welcome back joining me now on set as NBC News Chief political analyst Chuck Todd and NBC's Chief Washington.

And Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell thanks to both of you for staying up working the night shift with me it's great to have you both Chuck let's start with you what were your key takeaways it felt like a campaign speech right off the bat I got to check where we are are we in Chicago the Democratic Convention if you if this was the speech.

You'd have been like I mean to hear a chant of four more years look yeah um if you were to sit here in the pre-trump ERA this speech would have been considered overheated too partisan he didn't speak to all Americans he only spoke to his face but we're living in a different world right Donald Trump changed all the rules the tone and tenor.

Of American politics it's changed to the point where Biden's performance was almost that's what you're supposed to do now right that was so look he did you know the phrase that you're going to hear a lot of he did what he had to do right he had to do he had to perform well he he absolutely performed well I I found it to be a surprise at first how.

Right off the bat yes he took on Trump immediately and so they made the decision look everybody else is going to treat this like a campaign speech so why don't we do the same so look as a tactic uh for framing the start of this general election I have a feeling the speech is going to be his stump speech for at least probably at least through the.

Convention um this is is probably going to be very effective I think you're going to have some people uncomfortable with the tone in the middle but I think this is going to Rally his troops and he needed to Rally his troops tonight Andrea what were your takeaways he took on the age issue there head on but I was really struck by how energetic he was.

Feisty forceful mixing it up you know engaging the the few hecklers engaging Margy tayor green who tried to confront him on the w dating he almost wanted he right and he was so comfortable in that chamber he was in his element Now set pieace and teleprompters and all that but he went off prompter you know stumbled a little bit there but I.

Thought it was one of the best speeches he's ever delivered and I was really impressed frankly that he started out not with the state of the union is this or that or the other he started out with dealing with Ukraine he went right for it and that was to me going for the big picture was that the John meum touch you think starting in 1941 for FDR we know.

Meum has been in the room and it's like that was the I couldn't tell where meum had any input except at the beginning I got to tell you that it was Michael BOS today who started out you know on our program at news with 1941 for freedoms and FDR and so when that came back it sounded very much like the right frame that Putin's on the March and it was.

Reaganesque that that contrast between Putin and of course how former president Trump has spoken about Putin yes and dealt with Putin um we do have that Margy tiller green moment let's just play it and then get your reaction on the other side.

Hi Lincoln Lincoln Riley an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal that's right but how many thousands of people being killed by illegals to her parents I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself Chuck he fumbled her first name a little bit her name is l Lincoln Riley's the head coach of USC football um which.

Is was weird to hear that at first and I have to admit as a football fan wait did he say Lincoln Riley right we to go back legal but he was really quoting her but many people you know were offended thinking that go picture illegal rather than speaking of my would you have expected the Democrats to start chanting pass the bill for a.

Bill that six months ago not a one of them would have signed out to right I mean it is remarkable how negative partisanship now works here was like okay you guys said no to this bill this is the bill you wanted well now we want it right I mean it it's I mean you sit there if you're James lenford you're like look what we're getting them to do.

They're now cheering for more border security in fact James Langford was mouthing that's right when he listed the ingredients of the bill in contrast to the Republican talking points which were that none of the good stuff is they call it you know was in the bill but it did have conservative principles in it and he had gone very far over to the center.

Or to the right I think this one of the most fascinating moments because this Democrats did not have a pth to citizen iens ship in the bill Donald Trump scuttled the bill effectively this was basically his moment of calling out a do nothing congress and it was it was interesting also that the speaker watching the speaker was fascinating.

Because he doesn't have a mean face you know he's a boyish young guy felt sorry for I don't think he knew what to do up there at times I there were times when he was almost smiling like on prechool education early childhood education which is or how about clapping where nobody saw you would see like he would clap like yes but I don't know if I'm.

Supposed to show that I'm clapping so he didn't have the mean face but you know Israel and Gaza now it was more than it was 52 minutes 54 minutes before he actually got he did announce this new policy getting more Aid into Gaza well that's where I have a problem with it because I've got to fact check it because the UN spoke out in a briefing.

Just yesterday about the fact that there is already a peer they don't need to build a pier why not use the peer that's there well it's an Israeli pier and Israel hasn't agreed to it that's why not and why use that road there is you know a Crossing that secretary blinkin has been urging them to use in Northern Israel into Northern Gaza and uh rather.

You know from Israel right into Northern Gaza rather and why go in through Karen Shalom which is the existing opening in the South I have to drive up this way and the UN then is in Northern Gaza without any help getting the aid to the people who need it it's not a good process it won't get massive Aid in it's not as they are.

Trying to sell it Andrea it's such important context and Chuck it speaks to how complicated this issue is and how fraught for president Bid And the fact that Democrats are very divided they wanted him to forcefully call for a ceasefire tonight he didn't go that far no he didn't and it's it's been interesting to see that the vice.

President did and he didn't right right there's been this it's almost like they they're okay with letting the the The West Wing look as divided as Congressional Democrats are but you know this is one of those things where if the role if Biden was further to the side of the Palestinians I actually think he'd have a bigger.

Political problem right as problematic as this is for him in the state of Michigan and it's not I'm not going to sit here and say it is not this is and I also believe that if this is a hot war in the fall this is bigger than just worrying about Michigan L than 5 minutes on it and it was buried in the speech and I think that's the way they deal.

Because he's rallying the B well I think no I don't think it's a problem I think it's something that they don't really want to talk about because he doesn't have a solution and they have it I mean they've tried yeah and you know Bill Burns is there right now trying to work on it he's in the region yeah all right Andrea Chuck thank you so much really.

Appr so good to we could keep this going all night thank you coming up looking at the Democratic side of the house chamber tonight where dozens of democratic women women dressed in white in a show of support for women's rights one of those Democratic lawmakers congresswoman Judy Chu will join me on set next with her message and her response to the.

President's big speech stay with us you're watching NBC News Now special coverage of the State of the Union Address Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state Unleashed by Supreme Court decision overturning Wade.

To my friends across the aisle don't keep this waiting any longer guarantee the right to AB guarantee Nationwide and welcome back to our special coverage of tonight's State of the Union Address joining me now on set is California democratic congresswoman Judy Chu congresswoman thank you so much.

For being here oh thank you for having me well I have to just ask you you heard one of the fiery remarks about uh preserving IVF access Nationwide what did you make of the president's speech tonight I was so ecstatic that he talked about reproductive Freedom right at the start uh we actually had 40 of our guests uh all on the issues of.

Reproductive Rights whether it was IVF or abortion providers or um uh patients that could not get access to uh Reproductive Medicine and um so was our biggest turnout ever wow and so for him to acknowledge it and to say that this was a key issue for Americans was just something we needed to hear what do you make of a lot of people heard this.

Speech and said it sounded a lot like a campaign speech right off the bat do you accept that is that what you wanted to hear tonight he said the things we wanted to hear I was there in the audience I could feel the energy as he was talking about the key issues that we needed to address you know he wants to move the country.

Forward and I think he communicated that aggressively vigorously energetically that's what we wanted to hear let me get you to respond to the Republican response Katie Britt called the president quote dithering and diminished I don't know if you had a chance to watch her entire speech but how do you respond to that do you think the.

President did enough to answer those critics who have expressed concerns that that he might be too old to serve another four years we must have been watching a different speech I saw him being so direct about so many proposals including new proposals on how to make a house more affordable on getting um 500 prescription drugs uh prices.

Negotiated uh he talked about uh making the cap on prescription drugs for $2,000 for everybody what do you make of that moment that fiery moment that he had where he held up the pin and he said I will say her name lak and Riley some people have noted he didn't quite get her name right but really answering his.

Critics who've said say her name and basically calling out Republicans for not passing the bipartisan deal that was struck in the Senate that never actually passed the Senate because Donald Trump encouraged Republicans to Scuttle it well he ad libed and I like that I like the fact that he was able to answer her back uh he was on his toes and I like.

The fact that he called out Republicans for being a do nothing even though they've been saying they wanted a border solution all this time yeah um do you think that that message on immigration was enough to obviously it energized Democrats do you think it was enough to reach out and win over some of those Nikki Haley voters some of those.

Moderates those Independents who we might need to win reelection well he was um very strong in terms of talking about what needed to be done and uh laid out those proposals in a vigorous manner so I think I think he was uh convincing on on that issue and uh one thing's for sure what's going on now isn't working let me ask you about what you heard on.

The Middle East he obviously announced uh the fact that they are going to move to get more Aid into Gaza he called for and talked about the fact that they are working really hard to get this ceasefire this temporary ceasefire in exchange for a release of a hostages he didn't go so far as the vice president has gone and calling for a permanent.

Ceasefire did he go far enough for you well he did call for a ceasefire uh for now and that is very important I think he really needed to reinforce it and people needed to hear him say that uh this proposal for this this temporary Port um uh for the humanitarian Aid that was very intriguing and I felt that uh this is also something people needed to.

Hear because they needed to hear what concrete measures there would be that would actually get that Aid into the very desperate people of Gaza I want to have you respond to your colleague Congressman jaia Paul the chair of course of the progressive caucus who told my Capitol Hill colleague that if Democrats lose this election it will be.

Because of their policy in the Middle East what do you make of that do you think that's an accurate assessment it is a very critical issue and that we need to address very seriously and uh I think people are looking for um humanitarian Aid into Gaza they do not want to see Starving Children uh they do not want to see.

Indiscriminate bombing uh it's got to stop and uh yes we Israel has a right to defend itself but it must be much more targeted okay congresswoman Shu thank you so much for joining us thank you for your perspective tonight and for staying up late with us we really appreciate it coming up next we're going to turn to the other side of the aisle Republican.

Congressman Byron Donalds will be here on set with me next you're watching NBC News Now special coverage of the State of the Union Address do stay with us.

oh and welcome back we heard from a democratic member of Cong Cong on President Biden's speech now let's turn to a republican joining me now on set is Republican Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida Congressman thank you so much.

For being here good to be with you good to be have you here thank you for staying up late of course let me get your reaction to President Biden State of the Union Address the Democrats are obviously standing and applauding uh didn't see much standing and applauding on the Republican side not a surprise but what did you make of the speech well.

It was highly partisan and I think what the president was trying to do is Rally his base but he didn't talk about the conditions of the country he didn't really bring solutions for the conditions and the crises in the country he talked about things he wanted to do but if you add up all of the laundry list it would add another trillion to.

Our annual deficits on top of the 2 trillion annual deficits under Joe Biden how are the American people supposed to pay for this he talks inflation everything he wants to do is only going to create more of it you're talking about for example one of his proposals is actually to raise taxes on large corporations on Wealthy Americans not.

Touching taxes for anyone who makes $400,000 why is that something that you disagree with he says people who make more money should pay their fair share well a couple of things first of all that didn't apply to his son cuz his son evaded taxes number two if you start raising corporate taxes in a time where inflation is still high you're actually.

Going to depress economic growth in our country not increase it and number three the tax cut and jobs act that he referenced in his speech has raised more revenue for the federal Treasury treasury than at any other time in American history it actually has brought in record Revenue to the federal government we don't have a revenue.

Problem we have a spending problem he makes the case that in many cases Millionaires and billionaires are paying a lower tax rate than teachers and people who are making a minimum wage let me play you what he said on Social Security and get your reaction on that many of my friends on the other side of I I want to put Social Security.

On The Chopping Block if anyone here tries to cut Social Security Medicare or raise the retirement age I will stop you we have two ways to go Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy I will that's the proposal oh no you guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut I kind of.

Thought that's what your plan was well that's good to hear you're not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super wealth that's good to hear what do you make of that a couple things first of all the president's gaslighting the American people the Congressional budget office in om don't even agree with with his numbers when it.

Comes to tax policy that was written by Republicans which has been successful for the country but when it comes to Social Security Republicans have brought no proposal about social security but we do say that the CBO has said the programs going solvent in nine years when they go and solve it it will be a 22% benefit cut across the board for all.

Seniors so Congress does have to find a remedy to secure social security for the long what would you support would you support raising the retirement age for example are you basically saying there do need to be reforms look I think there's a lot of proposals that members of Congress have been debating and talking about the first part is you have.

To have a serious conversation with the American people not a political conversation because the results of Social Security going insolvent are going to be disastrous for everyone right well there's no doubt that that that is a problem the question is what do you do about it how do you keep it solvent but let let me ask you about.

What you heard tonight on the border the fact that President Biden effectively tried to paint Congress as a do nothing congress he said look we had a bipartisan deal and then Donald Trump came and said don't accept this deal unless it's a perfect deal it was a deal that Senator Lindsey Graham had praised it was a deal that didn't include a.

Pathway to citizenship does he have a point on that no he's wrong and the reason why he's wrong is because when elements of that deal were being leaked out by somebody in the Senate the speaker of the house and House Republicans said that deal is Dead on Arrival in the house you can finish negotiating it if you want to but if the.

Basic elements of allowing 5,000 illegal immigrants per day to come into the country before you take any measures to secure the Border that's just quickly the deal would not have allowed 5,000 immigrants to come into the country illegally it would have at a certain point once a certain number of migrants were being processed would have allowed.

The border to be shut down so would allow them to just come coming into the country process into the country those are semantical phrases the reality is it's an overwhelming number for the American people we can't do that the question I guess is why not do something if this is such a crisis at the southern border why wouldn't Republicans take.

This opportunity to do something to pass this legislation and just to follow up with you on that is there any possibility of something getting done or are we just too close to the election well a couple of things first House Republicans have done something we're the only chamber that's passed the bill hr2 it is passed the house the Senate.

Refuses to even talk about it or debate it so if we're going to talk about wanting to negotiate maybe it's time for the White House to look at The house's proposal and start talking and negotiating from that perspective as you know hr2 is a non-starter in the Senate and even Mexico said but the Senate but the Senate bill was a non-starter in the.

House so you can't have it both ways let me ask you this just quickly before I let you you go I know that speaker Johnson had encouraged you all to show decorum in the chamber tonight there were some outbursts how did you view this did you think there was enough deorum in the chamber tonight how do you assess how.

Your colleagues well it was very hard for a lot of members to M maintain decorum when the president just repeatedly lied about his own record and when there was when this speech was partisan it was not designed to unite the country it was not designed to actually talk about the State of the Union it was designed to launch his.

Presidential campaign members didn't want to sit there for that and so you had some outbursts yes and you didn't have a problem with that with the Outburst listen at this point we just want solutions for the country and that did not occur tonight all right Congressman Byron Donald's good to see you in person thank you so much really.

Appreciate it and still to come divided government Biden's reelection pitch and the long long road to a presidential rematch our political Pros join us next you're watching NBC News Now special State of the Union coverage.

Oh oh the last Administration enacted a $2 trillion tax cut overwhelmingly benefit the top in 1% the very wealthy and the biggest corporation and exploded the federal deficit they added more to the national.

Debt than any presidential term in American history check the numbers Folks at home does anybody really think the tax code is fair no do you really think the wealthy and big corporations need another $2 trillion tax break I sure don't I'm going to keep.

Fighting like hell to make it fair joining me now on set our political Pros former Democratic senator of North Dakota and CNBC contributor Heidi hiy camp and Brendan Buck former press secretary to house speakers John Baner and Paul Ryan he is now an NBC News political analyst thanks to both of you for staying up late I really appreciate.

It let me start I'm a little wired after that speech we are a little wired at this point we're going on midnight what was your reaction to this speech do you think the president did what he needed to do and did you like the policy more or the performance well number one I think that performance is way more important than the policy he had to come.

Out he had to be vigorous he had to be clever he had to be responsive but you know what this was was the beginning of the campaign there's no doubt about it and there was a lot of discussion will he come out and do a Kumbaya let's all get together or will he come out and basically you know equit his his case for four more years and he went out.

There and acquitted his case for four more years but I want to make this point and I I think um one of your guests earlier it might have been Andrea starting with Ukraine I thought was very interesting and I think it was done that way because he knows how critically important it is to get Aid he knows how critically important it is to get the.

Public behind it and I think leading with that and talking about our Legacy of leadership wasn't was maybe a little head bow to John McCain his dear friend what do you make of that Brendon what were your key takeaways well I think going into the speech we thought okay how does he balance the idea of firing up the base and also opening up a hand.

To those maybe those Nicki Haley voters those Independents you can just sort of scratch the last one he basically said we're not going to do that today we're just going to focus on the Bas and and think that's fine to to pick something because maybe doing both probably wouldn't work out very well and was obviously very confrontational with.

Republicans um we talk a lot about dorum I think Republicans should probably realize that that is not a good play clearly the president when he's standing up there has all of the structural advantages he's able to own those uh those back and forths happened last year happened again this time hopefully next time they'll learn their lesson that you.

Don't win when the president is standing up there um I think that was a very notable moment but but I think they also don't expect him to do that because they believe their own narrative that he's not capable and what he proved tonight is he's totally capable of holding a stage and then when he does it he flashes the Biden smile and it's.

Disarming and so he's got some mad skills he he demonstrated them tonight I I think what is so effective about those moments is the fact that he looks very in command and it's arguably one of the strongest counterpoints friend into the criticism that he doesn't have the stamina for another four yeah I think what Chuck said earlier is is really.

Important in a normal if we're nor grading on a normal scale this was not the smoothest delivery of a speech he stumbled numerous times over words had to stop himself but we have set expectations so low for this man that if he got through the speech it was a success and that's really what what we saw I think strategically also he did.

Something he's been kind of trying to figure out how he wants to deal with the agent issue Senator and tonight he took it head on he yes he made his jokes about it but he also embraced the fact that I used to be called the youngest person here now I'm the oldest um he really addressed this issue headon well and and I think he had to give a nod to.

It he had to say yes I recognize that you may have this image but I've got the experience we live in a dangerous time you want me at the helm and and I think I think it worked it worked because it was infused with that humor and when you hear that and you say oh yeah he gets it he gets that people are thinking but you know will this stop the discussion he.

Kind of threw a little little uh punch at uh the age of trump you know when he did it he said and my ideas are new and his ideas are old and he's as old as I am I the fact that he was going after Trump so directly was was stunning yeah and it occurred to me it it is we've never really had a situation where the State of the Union the president already.

Knew who his opponent is going to be at this point and so the fact that it you know we had a a lot of conversation how is he going to draw the contrast during the campaign this is an official address how does he like raise Trump he just went right at it and I'm you know not by name but said my predecessor many many times yeah it's just not something that.

We're used to in that setting but this is brand new too because he's running against a former president of the United States and there's so much there and remember what he did after the Ukraine he talked about the Insurrection to remind everyone second he brought up yeah it was really striking the other moment that stood out to me was when he.

Held up the pin that Marjorie Taylor green had given him she said say her name referring to Lake and Riley he did say her name he did uh he didn't get her first name 100% right but he did say her name she's of course the Georgia nurse who was um killed by an undocumented immigrant what was what did you make of that moment and how it will play I think.

If he had ignored it it would have been a huge mistake he had to say her name and he had to acknowledge what what her family had been through and you know we know that if if you said write the campaign ad that's going to be running over and over it's going to be her name and so he had to deal with it and I thought he did very well because he was.

Challenged by her he picked up the pin and said I feel horrible for her family yeah yeah Brendan what did you make of it and broadly of his argument on uh to Congress that basically trying to paint them as a do nothing congress it's something that Harry Truman did frankly it's something that former president Obama did in his reelection campaign.

Sure it's a tried andrue tactic I mean on immigration in particular Republicans clearly put this up on a tea for him to whack you know they we had members of Congress literally saying out loud we're not doing this because we don't want to give Joe Biden a win and and that's the perfect opportunity to run against Congress and and he took it um I think.

It's interesting that you say it was a really good idea to to to say her name I I agree with that but it was more of an adlib than anything else and the fact that he was able to Pivot in real time in that way that's that to me that was the moment of the night that's the thing we're going to remember agree I agree I agree and look if you were talking about.

Contrasting with Congress if you're going to pick a fight with anybody in that chamber it's probably Marie Taylor you want to pick and and and think about it had she not heckled him he wouldn't have had that moment that's right and so didn't benefit her yeah at all in some ways everybody gets what they want she she got clicks and you know people.

Talking about her that's all that matters to her and but it to me I if you know years from now we're not going to remember anything he talked about but perhaps that that one standoff with margerie Taylor green I do have to ask you both uh about what you heard tonight on the Middle East the fact that he talked about the fact that he's working.

To get more Aid into Gaza it highlights though this real divide within the Democratic party with some Democrats saying you've got to get tougher on isra I I think anything short of calling tonight for a to a permanent ceasefire was not going to satisfy the protesters in front of the White House I think that's right Brendon what do you.

Thinking how potent of an issue is this for President Biden with his base yeah obviously the senator understands this better than I do but the fact that you have people protesting your own president on the waiter the state of the union is a huge red flag that they need to be seriously paying attention to what about these numbers in this protest vote.

In Michigan we saw 100,000 I mean in a state that close that could make a difference that doesn't mean those 100,000 aren't what's their choice we they're running against a president a former president who would do something much more dramatic yeah hey I mean obviously I you can let people take fire at you or you can draw a contrast and I.

Think that's really where you're going to win the argument all right thank you both for this great conversation really appreciated Heidi hiid camp and Brendan Buck fantastic to be with you and thank you for being here on a special night we will have more analysis of tonight's address and the state of the 2024 presidential race on Meet the Press now.

This concludes NBC News Now special coverage of the 2024 State of the Union Address tonight President Biden on the state of our Union the president set to address a bitterly divided Congress outlining the challenges facing Americans at home and.

Abroad the war in Ukraine now at a critical Crossroads while

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